Pistol ban 'may hit Olympic chances'

UK Athletics firearms licensing manager David Brown said outlawing the Olympic .380 BBM was the equivalent of seizing whistles from football referees.

The former Greater Manchester Police officer said amateur clubs, schools and race meetings have been brought to a "virtual standstill".

Mr Brown said: "The implications for our major Olympic sport in the lead-up to 2012 should not be underestimated.

"The guns are the only thing that give a dual signal, a flash and smoke, to the athletes in front of you and the timekeepers.

"There is nothing else, except at the Olympic Games level where they have electronic guns. That is why it has been massively detrimental.

"Another problem is we cannot recommend people buy anything else as they are still doing this review."

The bright orange Olympic .380 BBM was banned last month after police discovered they were used in a series of shootings.

The move followed an amnesty across England and Wales in which more than 220 starting pistols were handed over to police.

The guns are manufactured in Italy to fire blank rounds for use in sporting competitions and about 1,500 have been imported into Britain since 2006.

But police discovered underground criminal armourers were painting the 80 guns black and converting them to fire live ammunition.

The gun is now prohibited under the Firearms Act and possessing it will lead to a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

UK Athletics was criticised by some members for not publicly questioning the ban when it was unveiled in April.

But emails released under the Freedom of Information Act show officials did appeal to senior Government officials and police for help.