The number of legally held guns in West Mercia has increased significantly over the last decade.

Newly released figures from the Home Office show that in March this year, there were 25,086 licenced firearms in the area, up from 19,122 in 2009. The number excludes shotguns, which are licensed separately.

It means there are 1,993 firearms for every 100,000 people in West Mercia, an increase of 26% from March 2009, when local records were first collated. It is the highest rate at any point over the last decade.

In total, 7,171 valid firearm licences in West Mercia covered an average of 3.5 guns each. There were a further 67,651 licenced shotguns in the area – a decrease on a decade ago.

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