Support for guns is not surprising in today’s world

THE first thing to say is that I don’t own a gun and would be very cautious about ever urging ownership of a firearm as a possible remedy to the fears that undoubtedly exist in rural areas around security.

But the terrible reality is that we know there are criminals who specialise in targeting elderly and vulnerable people in the countryside.

They attack by day or night to terrorise and inflict savage injuries on people who are usually unable to defend themselves and who — coming from a more innocent age — are actually slow to realise the dangers around and develop the kind of security-consciousness now required.