Support grows for ban on guns

A majority of Americans for the first time favour a ban on handgun sales, according to a poll of 1,250 adults by Louis Harris of LH Research. The poll showed 52 per cent in favour of a ban and 43 per cent against, AP reports from Washington.

While 42 per cent of adults reported having a gun at home, many expressed doubts about whether such weapons actually afforded more protection. Sixty-one per cent of women favoured banning handguns, compared with only 44 per cent of men.