London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Priti Patel orders review of crossbow laws after Windsor Castle incident

Priti Patel orders review of crossbow laws after Windsor Castle incident

Home secretary tells officials to look at possible ways to strengthen controls on weapons in wake of Christmas Day arrest
A review into crossbow ownership has been ordered by the home secretary just days after a 19-year-old man was arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day allegedly carrying the weapon.

The Metropolitan police are investigating a video, which has been linked to the suspect, which appears to show a masked figureholding a crossbow and saying they want to “assassinate the Queen”.

A Home Office spokesperson said the department had been instructed by Priti Patel to look at possible ways to “strengthen controls” on the weapons.

The spokesperson said: “Crossbows are subject to controls, and legislation is in place to deal with those who use them as a weapon.

“At the home secretary’s request, we are considering options to strengthen controls on crossbows. Work on this has been ongoing throughout the year, and we keep all relevant laws under review to maintain public safety.”

The man arrested on Christmas Day within the grounds of the castle in Berkshire where the Queen is in residence has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, the Metropolitan police said.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Whitehall sources said officials had been instructed to “incorporate any lessons” from the arrest into a review of crossbow laws which was ordered earlier this year.

Under current legislation, it is an offence for anyone under 18 to buy or possess a crossbow and for anyone to sell a crossbow to someone aged under 18. Crossbows may also be considered offensive weapons and are prohibited from being carried in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

Demands for tighter regulation of crossbows initially came after the five-day inquest into the death of Shane Gilmer in April. The 30-year-old died after his neighbour, Anthony Lawrence, broke into his house in January 2018 and shot him and his partner, Laura Sugden, who survived the attack.

The coroner, Prof Paul Marks, submitted a report to Patel in May in which he said he was concerned there was “no ongoing control, record or licensing requirement for (crossbows)”, unlike firearms.

On Monday the father of the 19-year-old arrested on Christmas Day reportedly told MailOnline: “Something’s gone horribly wrong with our son and we are trying to figure out what.”

“We’ve not had a chance to speak to him but are trying to get him the help he needs,” he said. “From our perspective, we are going through a difficult time. We are trying to resolve this issue and it’s not easy.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×