Cumbria Police has tackled firearms licensing delays by reducing its backlog of renewals by 57 per cent. 

It follows after new resources were introduced in April. 

A commitment to address these delays was made during a series of meetings between the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and the force.

The initial meeting with the Chief Constable led to the agreement of the force to provide additional aid to firearms licensing in the region.

BASC’s head of firearms Martin Parker recently met with Superintendent Andy Wilkinson and Chief Inspector Lee Skelton for a follow-up meeting.

The ongoing commitment to rectify the issue was reiterated, alongside the force’s commitment to hitting the following targets:

  • No backlogs on renewals
  • Grants issued within 17 weeks
  • Non-judicial outcome suitability reviews within eight weeks
  • Variations within four weeks

Mr Parker said: “I was delighted to be invited back again and appreciate the clear commitment to improving the licensing process this demonstrated.

“The progress the force has made in such a short space of time clearly shows that if you put the resources in, improvements can be made.

“I look forward to engaging with the new Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria at the first possible opportunity. BASC remains ready to provide any assistance with training that the force may find useful.”