SOME people have a very blinkered view of the world, take Dave Gorman (Letters, October 29), for example.

He says there is no legitimate reason for anyone to own a gun in Britain.

What about the sportsmen and women of the Olympic shooting squad? What about the thousands of us who enjoy clay pigeon shooting?

With my brother, I have been shooting for 37 years - rough shoots, organised shoots etc - and not once has there been any incident involving the gun.

Mr. Gorman also claims York is "not the Wild West". I suggest he goes out any Friday or Saturday night after the pubs spill out or the clubs and see if he is still of the same mind!

It is obvious Mr Gorman never played cowboys and indians when he was a child, otherwise he may have a different view.

Would he, if in the armed forces, refuse to fire a weapon? I know a greater more dangerous weapon, one that kills thousands every day - the car.

Should we ban this too?

Colin Henson,

Moorcroft Road,

Woodthorpe, York.

...I HAVE read with interest the various letters about Blue Moon Trading and their decision to trade in guns.

I was amazed at the totally blinkered attitudes of Dave Gorman and Jane Roberts who see no legitimate reason to own a gun in Britain.

Shooting is an Olympic sport in which Great Britain has excelled for years in all disciplines, including air rifle and pistol.

In the last Olympics, if it had not been for out shooting teams our medal tally would have been much lower.

Many of these competitors began the sport of shooting with air guns bought from local shops. York has had several of these during the years, most of which have closed, mainly because of Government restrictions on firearms which are some of the strictest in the world.

Why is it that when a lunatic, criminal or terrorist runs amok with a gun, the media shouts "ban guns", yet when an aircraft is deliberately flown into a skyscraper or a joyrider wipes out a bus queue, we never hear "ban aircraft and cars".

I have been involved in shooting for 40 years and have been a member of several clubs whose members have been honest, law-abiding citizens with calm dispositions taking part in their chosen sport; keeping guns in approved and secure conditions and restricted to the amount of ammunition and guns they can possess.

Only people such as these can legally hold a Firearm Certificate.

It is about time people stopped criticising the sports, interests and business of others, especially when they have little or no knowledge of them.

In future I shall be buying my targets etc, from Blue Moon Trading.

Good luck to them.

Dennis Carr,

Elliott Way,

Market Weighton.

Updated: 12:31 Friday, November 01, 2002