Shooting Rats: firearms laws.

[SimonGent]

Our next door neighbours have a rat infestation. The rats have been getting into our garden and trying to get into the house. We've contacted the council and the pest control people have been in and put down poison.

Am I allowed to shoot the rats if I see them in my garden - I have an air rifle but I don't know whether I'd be breaking any laws - firerarms or other.

[RATTER15]

Yes you are allowed to shoot the rats as long as you don't fall foul of any firearm laws, like shooting over public land etc. You can only shoot the rats on your land!!

If the Pest Control Officer is worth his salt, the problem will be gone in about a week, are they dealing with the problem next door? if not it could be an ongoing problem.

I am a Pest Control Officer by the way!!

[Toureman]

An air rifle is not a firearm and is not subject to any firearm laws.

[johnlambert]

There are laws relating to air rifles, i think you need to be on your own land, have a back stop and (im not sure about this one) you need to be 150 meters away from a public road

[RATTER15]

Tourerman, you're splitting hairs a little!! OK! gun laws not firearm laws, there are laws concerning the use of airguns, even on private property!

[RATTER15]

WM, a point of interest here, when it comes to public health and vermin, there are no laws that govern how an animal is killed, whether it is done humanly or not, ridiculous I know.

I just hope that anybody attempting to kill any animal (vermin or not) would ensure that the animal does not suffer from their incompetence.

[RATTER15]

I know how it reads, but it doesn't apply when it comes to a threat of health. Unfortunately, the Countryside & wild life act is never that simple, you need to look up specific species and cross reference about six different paragraphs and chapters etc. and it will tell you approved methods of killing and whether it is permissible to allow suffering. I have been there a dozen times with the police and had to go through it with them and explain it to them, not on cruelty issue but on season issues which fall into the same category of taking certain species out of season etc.

[SimonGent]

Thnaks everyone for their answers....

Working on the principle that if somebody heard me shooting and called the police, am I likely to end up in trouble (I appreciate that questions would be asked, and possibly that I'd get arrested to allow those questions) or would the matter be resloved after police called at my house??

[RATTER15]

You will be fine as long as no pellets travel outside your property, you are not shooting at an adjoining fence or hedge, there is no risk of anyone being injured by stray or ricochet pellets.

I would say it is very unlikely the police would even attend if no one has been or could be injured by you firing an air rifle.