A MAN whose daughter was killed in the Dunblane massacre has called for tighter gun ownership laws in the wake of a fatal shooting on the Isle of Skye.
Michael North, whose five-year-old daughter Sophie was one of the 16 pupils killed by Thomas Hamilton in 1996, said more could be done to restrict gun ownership in the UK following the tragic death of John MacKinnon.
Father-of-six MacKinnon, 47, died on Wednesday morning after a firearm was discharged in Teangue in the south of the island. Gunshots were then also heard on the mainland at Dornie, Wester Ross, during a series of related violent incidents which left others injured.
The Dunblane tragedy - which unfolded on March 13, 1996 - eventually led to a ban on the private ownership of most handguns.
Under present rules in the UK, individuals must have a reason to own or use a weapon, such as for sport, work or leisure, and firearms certificates are only issued by Police Scotland after thorough background checks which include considering an applicant's medical records.
New checks are carried out when licences are renewed every five years but North, founder of the Gun Control Network, has suggested that period should be reduced to two or three years.
This would bring the law into line with the likes of Belgium and Brazil.
North said in the Times: "There has been talk on shooters' websites of extending the licence period from five years to 10 years but we feel the period should be reduced, not extended."
More than £20,000 has now been raised for the family of Mr MacKinnon through a crowdfunding page.
North said the Home Office should also increase the £90 licence fee for owning a firearm or shotgun to £200 to help cops cover costs.
He added it should be mandatory for an applicant's close family members and even former partners to be interviewed to assess an applicant's suitability.
But Colin Shedden, director of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Scotland, said the procedures used by police for assessing a person's suitability were "rigorous".
"For the last five years, an application or renewal will not be processed until a GP has confirmed the individual does not suffer from a number of relevant illnesses including acute stress, depression or anxiety and dementia," he said.
"The GP will also mark the individual's medical records to show that person is a certificate holder so that if a relevant illness does come to the GP's notice, the police can be informed.
"Certificate holders are also under an obligation to inform police if they are diagnosed with or treated for such a medical condition."
