LETTER : Dunblane: club leaders must be vetted

Sir: Those who call for changes to the gun laws in the wake of the horror at Dunblane should know that the same questions were considered at great length after Hungerford. David Sawers (Letters, 15 March) is naive to assume that a law banning the removal of guns from clubs would have made any difference to Thomas Hamilton. Hamilton was breaking the law the moment he loaded his guns and left his home. As for liability, Ryan and Hamilton both killed themselves after committing their atrocities. Should others pay for the act of a madman?

Unfortunately the means open to someone determined to kill indiscriminately are legion.What about the many hundreds of thousands of illegal guns and knives that are already in circulation? You cannot legislate against the decision of an individual to commit an atrocity. There is no panacea. Let us await the outcome of Lord Cullen's inquiry.

Philip Nowak

Sayers Common, West Sussex