Letter: Guns: if the mental safety catch fails

Sir: I have discovered a most revealing parallel with the clamour for compensation to be paid to deprived gun-owners, through their various organisations. In 1833, at the time of the Abolishment of Slavery Act (ultimately passed in Parliament after enormous struggles), pounds 20m (then!) was paid to Britain's deprived slave-owners as compensation.

MICHAEL S SUTCLIFFE

Southwold,

Suffolk