MPs have been warned that anyone - including children - can legally buy weapons capable of killing wildlife, as a legal loophole allows catapults and slingshots to be sold cheaply and without restriction across England and Wales.
The warning was issued during a Parliamentary briefing hosted by Naturewatch Foundation, which highlighted growing evidence that catapults are being deliberately misused to injure and kill wildlife, damage property and intimidate rural communities. Despite their potential to cause serious harm, catapults remain completely unregulated in England and Wales, with no minimum age for purchase and no meaningful controls on sale or power.
Naturewatch Foundation warned MPs that current legislation leaves police and communities powerless to act. Officers are unable to confiscate catapults unless another offence has already been committed, and incidents involving catapults are not recorded as a specific crime. This means the true scale...
