Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate, Brian Paddick has backed calls by Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe urging judges not to overlook mandatory five-year sentences for possession of a firearm.

The criticism comes as new research by the Liberal Democrats has shown that the number of guns seized at UK borders has more than halved in a year. The research has also shown that nine times as many customs officers work on stopping cigarette smuggling than on gun smuggling.

Commenting, Brian Paddick, said:

“How can we expect communities to stand shoulder to shoulder with the police to help get guns and knives off our streets if the offenders aren’t being properly punished?
“Letting offenders off the supposedly mandatory five-year sentence is sending out the wrong message.
“We need a real deterrent and judges should get on board to make sure that the sentences do exactly what they say on the tin.”