Can Anyone Answer This?????

[leachy]

I have been asked this question and to be honest I dont know the answer, can anyone help?

Scenario: Some employees are meeting up for a day out paintballing. One brings along his own gun and a couple of them have fun playing with it in the workplace car park before they set off, causing some damage to other employees' cars (which is being dealt with).

The workplace is a council-owned building open to the public, and although not an official right of way, the car park and surrounding grounds are often used as a pedestrian shortcut by the public. The car park is also close to a very busy road.

It's undecided at the moment, but it's likely the guilty parties will be disciplined at work. However, what's the legal position?

 

[EyeFellOva]

There is a law preventing markers from being fired within a specific distance from a public road. That makes it a very serious problem!

 

[leachy]

I dont suppose you know the distance do you?

 

[Bob]

If it is not an official right of way then it is priviate council property (i don'tknow if [due to it being council] it counts as public). Have only done a brief law course but if a path is used for long enough it can become law (if used for over 10 years i think).

As its a work car park (no doubt next to a public road and pavement) this would be a big problem.

1. Damage of property

2. Using a sports firearm (be it below 300fps) with out saftey protection in range (guessing) of public road ways.

3. The pubic and civilains are likly to take a very negative view of this: 1 to them its basicly a real gun and two the times we are living in such as using it near a council building.

I think this is what roughly would be looked at.


BTW i did a Marine and Environmental Law course so cant realy comment on the exact laws but the above is an educated guess.

 

[Bob]

I dont suppose you know the distance do you?

It is 50 feet (see web link below page 2).

EDIT: http://www.met.police.uk/firearms-enquiries/airguns1.htm

+ add possetion in a public place to the equation as well.

 

[EyeFellOva]

I dont suppose you know the distance do you?

It's something like 200 yards, that's why most sites are buried in the woods!

 

[leachy]

This is a good one isnt it, we all have markers but really we dont know how we stand leagaly if we are not using them on a paintball field

 

[Bob]

It's something like 200 yards, that's why most sites are buried in the woods!

50 Feet acording to the met, but i assume thats on private land, not a car park.

http://www.met.police.uk/firearms-enquiries/airguns2.htm

EDIT:

This is a good one isnt it, we all have markers but really we dont know how we stand leagaly if we are not using them on a paintball field

Heres some help for people who want to read up on dos & don'ts as well as some views taken by outside parties (info from the UKPSF).

http://www.ukpsf.com/paintballlaw.asp

 

[EyeFellOva]

50 feet, is that all? Crazy!

 

[Bob]

50 feet, is that all? Crazy!

Yeah! a paintballcan got up to 6 times that distance easy.