Independent article

[Darkwerks]

Anyone catch this article in the Independent on the 10th of November ?
"Executive war games fuel illegal guns market
By Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent
10 November 2003


The boom in executive-style war games, such as paintballing, is providing criminals with a ready supply of guns that are being converted into lethal weapons, a confidential Scotland Yard report says.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=462266



Eh? I'd like to read the full text to see how exactly we are providing criminals with a ready supply of guns

 

[Hotpoint]

Reading the text from the Scotland Yard Report quoted within the article it doesn't actually say Paintball but does mention "Airsoft" and "Wargaming"

You can't convert a P'ball gun to make it fire live-ammo and unlike Airsoft our Markers don't generally look like guns either

Bet you anything Paintball was only dragged into this by the journalist who made 2+2=5

I feel a complaint coming on

 

[Skeet]

Looks like we should get someone on this guys case and quick.
Thats quite a blatant statement, and it berates paintball specifically.

HOTPOINT...? Where you at mate?

 

[manike]

Originally posted by Hotpoint
Reading the text from the Scotland Yard Report quoted within the article it doesn't actually say Paintball but does mention "Airsoft" and "Wargaming"

You can't convert a P'ball gun to make it fire live-ammo and unlike Airsoft our Markers don't generally look like guns either

Bet you anything Paintball was only dragged into this by the journalist who made 2+2=5

I feel a complaint coming on

Agreed. Absolutely ****ing stupid journalists again.

I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work required to convert any paintball gun other than a mod 85 into a live ammo weapon.Some air guns on the other hand... ludicrously simple.

BUT the whole point is if you do that you are doing something illegal. Crack down on the criminals not the innocent and don't tar both with the same brush. Stupid media and **** government antics again.

This kind of 'article' makes my blood boil. Who should we send complaints to Jon?

 

[Hotpoint]

Just fired this off to the editor. If I get no worthwhile response I'll let you know where to send the complaints

Dear Sir,

My attention has just been drawn to an Article by Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent printed in the Independent on November 10th

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=462266

This article, headlined "Executive war games fuel illegal guns market", has caused some controversy in that it seems to be saying that their may be some link between Paintball and illegal activity

Firstly, for the record Paintball Markers cannot possibly be converted to fire live-ammunition. This can only be done with certain types of non-Paintball Airguns

Secondly unlike Airsoft Guns Paintball Markers are not replicas and do not look anything like real weapons

I note that nowhere within the Text quoted by the journalist does it actually say Paintball. I must assume that he saw "Airsoft" and "wargaming" mentioned in the Police report and then proceeded to make 2+2=5

Finally Paintballing is not an "Executive" activity anyway. Over 400,000 thousand people play every year in the UK and the vast majority of men and women who participate are not Executives

Please print a retraction and ask your Crime Correspondant to check his facts in future


Regards

Jonathan Lee Hayes
Technical Advisor - United Kingdom Paintball Sports Federation

www.ukpsf.org

 

[manike]

Nice!

If there is any weight I can add with my 'official title' I'd be happy to send something also.

Is there any way we can find the Scotland Yard report on line?

I've been searching for it but no luck yet?

 

[TJ Lambini]

Nice.

But next time get tha PGI boyz to check your letter for spelling mistakes...

 

[Hotpoint]

Originally posted by TJ Lambini
Nice.

But next time get tha PGI boyz to check your letter for spelling mistakes...

My bad. I was too annoyed to proof-read properly... and I usually read the Guardian so I don't pick up on spelling mistakes very easily on the first run

 

[Ben Frain]

The same stupidity was abudantly clear on Pg 31 of the Sunday Express yesterday which ran a similar story.

What was so funny was that the copy mentioned that these 'replica' weapons (and it specifically mentioned paintball and had a picture of a paintball marker) could be easily modified to fire live ammo and could be easily concealed. By the side of the article was an image of a punter with an Inferno style marker, CO2 bottle attached and a hopper mounted on top - hardly an advert for covert ops - can't see many people sticking that in their waistband!

 

[Skeet]

There you are...kinda snuck in there while I was typing!!!

Looks good matey...if you do get a response, maybe they might like to put an Article in the sports pages, along with a retraction in the Crime section.

Manike...whats your official title then??