A Channel 4 documentary about a triple murders in Luton has prompted renewed pressure in Parliament for tighter gun laws, with Luton North MP Sarah Owen calling for urgent reform of the firearms licensing system.
Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Ms Owen said the town was “still shaken” by the killings of Juliana Falcon and her children Kyle and Giselle and warned that the case showed how easily dangerous loopholes could be exploited.
Her question followed Channel 4’s broadcast of 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder in Marsh Farm, which revealed how the killer had obtained a shotgun using a forged licence — reigniting national debate over the regulation of private gun sales.
“It has now been over a year since the tragic murders in my constituency of Juliana Falcon and her children Kyle and Giselle, by their brother. Our town is understandably still shaken by this horrific incident,” Ms Owen told MPs.
“It came to light that the murderer was able to obtain a gun with a forged shotgun licence. The previous Home Secretary promised the tightening of private arms sales following this tragedy. Can we please have a debate or a statement on this issue, and on the need for a national database of gun licences?”
Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell said ministers had already strengthened parts of the licensing process but confirmed that a wider consultation on shotgun and private sale controls would take place later this year.
“It was a truly tragic and shocking case, and the Government are committed to doing everything that we can to prevent similar incidents,” he said.
“We have introduced tighter controls on firearms licensing to keep people safe and help the police to apply the law consistently, and we will consult later this year on measures to strengthen controls on shotguns and to improve controls on the private sale of firearms.”
The Home Office has made several changes to the licensing system since 2023. Applicants for shotgun certificates must now name two referees instead of one, while police are required to check with partners or household members for any history of violence or domestic abuse. Officers can also refuse or revoke licences if applicants are dishonest or withhold medical information.
Fees for certificates were increased earlier this year to cover the cost of background checks, and new rules brought in last year tightened storage requirements for high-powered weapons and placed miniature rifle ranges under full licensing control.
Ms Owen’s intervention comes after Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard also urged the government to act quickly, saying the tragedy “starkly reminds us of the reality of the current legal shortcomings” in the law on private gun sales.
The government has yet to set a timetable for its new consultation but has confirmed that further reforms — including the creation of a national firearms database — are under consideration.
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