Crossbows could soon be banned from sale in the UK, with existing owners required to obtain a licence under sweeping new proposals put forward by the Government following a series of fatal incidents involving the weapons.
The Home Office is consulting on measures that would prohibit the purchase of crossbows outright while creating a registration framework for people who already own one. Anyone wishing to keep their crossbow would need to pass suitability checks as part of the licensing process.
The move comes after growing concern that crossbows are too easily obtained, including through online retailers, without any checks or registration requirements currently in place.
Among the cases cited by the Home Office as driving the review is the murder of Carol Hunt and her daughters Louise and Hannah in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in July 2024. Kyle Clifford carried out the killings and was subsequently sentenced to a whole-life term. Authorities also referenced a separate attack in Headingley and further incidents as part of the case for tighter controls.
One of the most vocal supporters of the proposed legislation is Laura Sugden, whose partner Shane Gilmer was killed in a crossbow attack in 2018. Sugden has campaigned for reform in the years since his death and expressed hope the legislation would be formally named Shane’s Law in his memory.
“Shane lost his life because of a system that failed to recognise the risks,” she said, adding that she hoped the changes would prevent others from suffering the same loss.
A Government spokesperson said crossbows were powerful and deadly weapons and that recent tragedies had demonstrated the serious harm caused when they were misused, adding that public safety remained the administration’s priority.
The attempted assassination of the late Queen using a crossbow at Windsor Castle in 2021 also featured among the incidents that have contributed to calls for legal reform in recent years.
The Government has not yet confirmed a timetable for when the new rules would come into force. A formal consultation is under way, during which the public and relevant stakeholders are expected to have the opportunity to submit views on the proposed framework before any legislation is brought forward.
