Shooting Near a Road

Edchef

Well-Known Member
Hi All
I was just watching a bit of video on Youtube - about Roe Stalking - and and during the course of the film I could clearly hear traffic in the background
I think it was filmed in Poland but I got to wondering what, if any, is the minimum distance that shots can be taken from a public road or footpath (in the UK)
PS It may well state this on an FAC but I don't have one - yet!
Thanks
Edchef
 
"it an offence to discharge a firearm within 50 ft of the centre of a highway with vehicular rights" (England and Wales, don't think it counts in Scotland)
 
no minimum distance.

The Highways Act details that it is offence to: "discharge a firearm within 50 feet of a highway IF......." (and it is a big if)
in doing so you "any highway user is injured, interrupted or endangered as a result."

so in short its fine if no one complians gets shot or has to detour the area!
 
"it an offence to discharge a firearm within 50 ft of the centre of a highway with vehicular rights" (England and Wales, don't think it counts in Scotland)

Missed off the other bits. ;)

"In England & Wales it is an offence without lawful authority or reasonable excuse to
discharge any firearm within fifty feet of the centre of a highway which consists of
or comprises a carriageway, and in consequence a user of the carriageway is
injured, interrupted or endangered
. [Section 161(2) of the Highways Act 1980 as
amended]."

It is important to remember that the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited in itself. It must also be proved that there was an injury, or that someone’s passage was interrupted or interfered with e.g. they have been forced to make a detour.
 
This is correct, but it also applies to air rifles/pistols/weapons, I once got a client a not guilty with this one, using pythagaris theorem, he was shooting from an upstairs window into his back garden at a target, at ground level it was arguably less that 50 feet TO CENTRE OF THE HIGHWAY (not the edge of), and using this mathmatical arguement the case was dropped, incidentally a highway also includes public foot paths & bridleways, and the distance also includes over water as well as land
 
That at least sounds all straightforward
I suppose if any neighbours or passers-by object to the noise then it is a completely different matter
I try to be discreet but still get the occasional strange look from neighbours who can see into the property
Again - Thanks all
Ed
 
In northern ireland, for some reason we went metric and its 18m which I believe is french for 50feet! Funny thing is that the same piece of legislation also prohibits discharge of firearms within 18m of a church or graveyard-that made it a bugger to to renew my FAC for an automatic pistol for 'firing of respectful volleys of shots over the deceased coffin - and vermin control'!!!!!!!:rofl:
 
incidentally a highway also includes public foot paths & bridleways

Not true. A "highway" for the purpose of that piece of legislation applies only to "a highway which is a carriageway" which are specifically those highways that have vehicular rights of access. Footpaths and bridleways are not included.
 
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