Starmer faces calls to bring forward tougher crossbow laws within weeks

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to bring forward tougher laws on crossbows within weeks.

Conservative former minister Sir John Hayes highlighted the case of triple murderer Kyle Clifford, who used a crossbow to kill his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt and her sister Hannah Hunt.

Clifford, 26, also stabbed their mother Carol Hunt to death at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July.

The previous Conservative government launched a consultation in February 2024 on introducing further controls on crossbow ownership after a 2021 incident in which a man, armed with the weapon, gained entry to the grounds of Windsor Castle.

It suggested a firearms-style licensing scheme for crossbows, but progress on the proposals have stalled following last year’s general election.

It is currently illegal to sell crossbows to people aged under 18 or carry one in public without a reasonable excuse, but there is no licensing or registration scheme for the weapon and adults are free to buy them.

“The previous government launched a consultation over a year ago on the regulation of crossbows, their sale and use, and we’ve heard nothing since. They are as powerful as guns, as silent as knives.

“Will the Prime Minister agree for one of his ministers to come to the House before Easter to give us a clear instruction about what the Government intends to do before any more lives are lost?”

Sir Keir replied: “I thank him for raising this and he’s right to do so. It’s a shocking issue and the case he refers to is a truly shocking case, I think that’s agreed across the House.

“We’re working on this and I’ll make sure he gets an update to ensure that he’s across the detail of what we’re doing.”