BASC secures costs in Fighting Fund victory

BASC has recovered £10,000 in legal costs after supporting a member whose shotgun certificate was wrongly revoked by Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

The member’s certificate was revoked on what was described as a ‘capricious’ basis, with Cambridgeshire Constabulary acting on an ‘unsubstantiated assumption’, rather than clear evidence. 

BASC made it clear from the outset that we would fight the revocation vigorously, supported by the association’s Fighting Fund. The case was reviewed by the force following intervention by BASC.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary decided not to contest the member’s appeal against the revocation and his certificate was subsequently reinstated. The costs were settled out of court.

BASC director of firearms Bill Harriman said: “While I am pleased that Cambridgeshire Constabulary has decided not to contest this appeal and return the member’s shotgun certificate, the question needs to be asked as to why the firearms licensing unit made such a poorly considered decision to revoke it in the first place.

“No proper medical evidence was adduced by the police who acted on an unsubstantiated assumption that this member had an alcohol problem. This flawed decision making has led to a man of good character being treated in a disgraceful manner and has cost the constabulary thousands of pounds in squandered legal costs at a time when police resources are badly overstretched.

“BASC will be examining the conduct of all police staff involved in this debacle and if any wrongdoing is identified, complaints will be made to the Professional Standards Unit.”

In January, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) issued an Accelerated Cause of Concern report after identifying serious failings within the firearms licensing collaboration of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, leading to public safety being put at risk.

BASC said the findings of the HMICFRS report mirror those set out in its own firearms licensing report published in July 2025. The report showed the collaborative unit had gone from being one of the most efficient in the country in 2022 to the worst performing in the UK by 2025. It identified inadequate resourcing as a central cause, a conclusion reinforced by HMICFRS.