New database shows guns are in short supply

The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis) firearms database has linked more than 350 guns with crimes in its first year of operation in England and Wales. Guns are getting harder to obtain so they are increasingly shared by gang members.

The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis) works by combining advanced forensic technology and police intelligence information. Nabis says guns are becoming difficult to obtain - meaning rival gangs must sometimes use the same weapons.

The service, which was jointly established by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in November 2008, helps forces to solve crimes in which guns have been used, identify the individuals who import and supply them illegally, and track down people who are illegally converting or adapting them.

A distinctive fingerprint is left on the bullet every time a weapon is fired. Combining those marks with police investigations on a giant database reveals patterns of use across the country. In most cases guns are tied to a particular area, but in some the same weapon has been linked with separate shootings hundreds of miles apart. Guns which have apparently lain dormant for more than a decade can reappear.

Det Ch Supt Paul James, Nabis programme manager, said capturing key suppliers meant there were fewer guns on the streets. He added it was wrong to suggest guns could be bought cheaply and easily.

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