Recurring concern

Inadequate controls on access to functional weapons

First to latest report 25 Feb 2016 — 17 Oct 2025

Reports that mention this concern: 3
Times this concern has been raised: 4
Stated actions linked to this concern: 2

What this concern includes

Includes failures of controls governing the provision, lawful status, distribution or availability of functional weapons where the report identifies a continuing public-safety risk, including provision of usable ceremonial daggers and proliferation of unlicensed weapons.

What is not included

Excludes failures to investigate or respond to a particular weapon found in the community when the concern is the police incident response rather than weapon access controls.
Excludes disclosures of a person's possession of a knife or offensive weapon where the deficient process is recognition, recording or safeguarding response rather than control of weapon access.
Excludes generic weapons training, police detention, firearm storage and weapon-use practices unless the asserted unsafe condition is uncontrolled access to the weapon itself.
Excludes factual weapon-related incidents without an asserted continuing deficiency in provision, lawful control or availability.

Trends

Reports over time

Reports mentioning this concern, over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Department of Health and Social Care1

Home Office1

Lincolnshire Police1

Ministry of Defence1

Reports and published responses 3 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

17 Oct2025
Manchester West
Concerns raised1
1. Proliferation of unlicensed weapons
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response

Home Office
Respondent positions 1
1. Home Office
  Existing legal controls and penalties are considered sufficient to address the concern about proliferation, regardless of the manufacturing method.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
AI-generated summary

OWEN AUSTIN DONNELLY · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

OWEN AUSTIN DONNELLY was discovered collapsed and unresponsive in the garden of his residence on 16 February 2025, with a self-inflicted head wound, and was verified dead by attending paramedics. The inquest concluded suicide. Concerns included the ability to research, access, download and use material widely available on the internet, the fact that possession of material enabling construction of such a weapon was not then a criminal offence, and the risk posed while proposed legislation remained under consideration.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Proliferation of unlicensed weapons
Wider context from the report
“1. The deceased was able research, access, download and then to make use of ████████ widely available on the internet, primarily from the United States, ████████ 2. The possession of ████████ that can enable an individual to construct a ████████ is not currently a criminal offence. 3. I heard evidence from a ████████ expert that there is an alarming proliferation of ████████ weapons within England and Wales, ████████ ████████ that are unlicensed and therefore increasingly available for criminal or nefarious purposes. 4. A Bill criminalising the possession of such ████████ is awaiting a second reading before Parliament. Until such time proposed legislation is enacted, there remains a real and immediate risk that individuals may access the internet ████████ ████████ ”
Source location
OWEN AUSTIN DONNELLY · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Existing legal controls and penalties are considered sufficient to address the concern about proliferation, regardless of the manufacturing method.

Verbatim wording from the response
“You were also concerned about the proliferation of ████████ It is already the case that a ████████. For the purposes of the ████████, the method of manufacture is immaterial.”

Source location
Response from Home Office
Page 1 · response
Published 23 October 2025
Open published response
28 Feb2023
Somerset
Concerns raised2
1. Issuing ceremonial or functional weapons to people leaving the Army who may have a propensity for mental health issues
2. Provision of fully functional deadly weapons to people leaving the British Army
Linked response

Ministry of Defence
Stated actions 2
1. Ministry of Defence
  Remind entitled units to verify genuine need before issuing Combat Fighting Knives and strictly investigate misappropriation for disciplinary or prosecutorial action.
2. Ministry of Defence
  Inform Service chiefs of the murder and remind them to scrutinise potentially lethal-item issues and strictly investigate misappropriation for deterrent sanctions.
Respondent positions 3
1. Ministry of Defence
  Combat Fighting Knives are not generally provided to departing personnel; they are restricted to those requiring them for specific combat roles.
  Disputes the concern
1. Ministry of Defence
  Existing MOD controls on issuing and gifting Combat Fighting Knives are considered appropriate and sufficient to address the concern.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
2. Ministry of Defence
  A standing order prohibiting gifts of Combat Fighting Knives would have limited utility because such knives are widely available commercially and legally.
  Unable to act
AI-generated summary

Stephen Roy Chapple and Jennifer Chapple · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Stephen and Jennifer Chapple suffered significant stab wounds during a neighbour dispute and were pronounced deceased at the scene on 21 November 2021. The principal concern was that a fully functional ceremonial dagger had been presented to the assailant on leaving the British Army, placing a potentially deadly weapon in the community; the report questioned the appropriateness of such presentations, including where recipients may have mental health issues.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Issuing ceremonial or functional weapons to people leaving the Army who may have a propensity for mental health issues
Wider context from the report
“The murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger that had been presented to ████████ following his retirement from the British Army. ████████ was in the British Army was 2002 – 2017 (Royal Engineers) and, on leaving, he was presented with the ceremonial dagger as a commemorative token of his service. The dagger was not a blunt replica, it was a fully functional weapon capable of causing significant harm, injury and sadly in the Chapple’s case, death. Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is (to all intents and purposes) a deadly weapon. Such presentation/gifting has essentially put a deadly weapon in the community (where I understand it sadly remains, having never been recovered as it was removed from the scene prior to police attendance) and I am not persuaded that this is appropriate. During the trial, evidence was adduced by ████████ defence team to allude to the poor mental health of ████████ because of combat and tours of war-torn countries. This is not an uncommon feature of those serving in and/or leaving the Army and adds further weight to my concerns around the appropriateness of such items (whether ceremonial or not) being issued in the first place, but secondly being issued to those who may have a propensity for mental health issues. ”
Source location
Stephen Roy Chapple and Jennifer Chapple · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Provision of fully functional deadly weapons to people leaving the British Army
Wider context from the report
“The murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger that had been presented to ████████ following his retirement from the British Army. ████████ was in the British Army was 2002 – 2017 (Royal Engineers) and, on leaving, he was presented with the ceremonial dagger as a commemorative token of his service. The dagger was not a blunt replica, it was a fully functional weapon capable of causing significant harm, injury and sadly in the Chapple’s case, death. Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is (to all intents and purposes) a deadly weapon. Such presentation/gifting has essentially put a deadly weapon in the community (where I understand it sadly remains, having never been recovered as it was removed from the scene prior to police attendance) and I am not persuaded that this is appropriate. During the trial, evidence was adduced by ████████ defence team to allude to the poor mental health of ████████ because of combat and tours of war-torn countries. This is not an uncommon feature of those serving in and/or leaving the Army and adds further weight to my concerns around the appropriateness of such items (whether ceremonial or not) being issued in the first place, but secondly being issued to those who may have a propensity for mental health issues. ”
Source location
Stephen Roy Chapple and Jennifer Chapple · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Remind entitled units to verify genuine need before issuing Combat Fighting Knives and strictly investigate misappropriation for disciplinary or prosecutorial action.

Verbatim wording from the response
“I consider that MOD’s existing measures are appropriate, however, I have written to the General Officers Commanding the Units entitled to demand/issue Combat Fighting Knives, in order to remind them:”

Source location
Response from Ministry of Defence
Page 2 · response
Published 7 March 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Inform Service chiefs of the murder and remind them to scrutinise potentially lethal-item issues and strictly investigate misappropriation for deterrent sanctions.

Verbatim wording from the response
“I consider existing restrictions upon gifting of MOD property to be sufficient, however, I have written to the Service chiefs in order to inform them of this horrific murder and remind them of their duty to ensure that misappropriation of MOD items is identified and investigated. Moreover, that the issue of potentially lethal items should be scrutinised to ensure genuine requirement, and that misappropriation of such items, including combat knives of any type, should be thoroughly investigated and the strictest sanctions applied as a future deterrent.”

Source location
Response from Ministry of Defence
Page 3 · response
Published 7 March 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Combat Fighting Knives are not generally provided to departing personnel; they are restricted to those requiring them for specific combat roles.

Verbatim wording from the response
“Matter of Concern 1 – “Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is (to all intents and purposes) a deadly weapon.””

Source location
Response from Ministry of Defence
Page 2 · response
Published 7 March 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Existing MOD controls on issuing and gifting Combat Fighting Knives are considered appropriate and sufficient to address the concern.

Verbatim wording from the response
“I consider that MOD’s existing measures are appropriate, however, I have written to the General Officers Commanding the Units entitled to demand/issue Combat Fighting Knives, in order to remind them:”

Source location
Response from Ministry of Defence
Page 2 · response
Published 7 March 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
A standing order prohibiting gifts of Combat Fighting Knives would have limited utility because such knives are widely available commercially and legally.

Verbatim wording from the response
“There is a tradition within the MOD of presenting leaving gifts to individuals when they exit the Armed Forces. A Combat Fighting Knife as part of a presentation display is one of many gifts that may be presented to a Service person departing military units associated with the Commando role, especially with 3 Commando Brigade such items are provided using non-public funds such as a collection from colleagues. Combat Fighting Knifes and associated display materials are widely available from a range of suppliers commercially within the UK subject to an age check. Whilst the military chain of command could issue a Standing Order prohibiting Service personnel gifting specific items such as Combat Fighting Knives to Service leavers, such an Order would be of limited utility.”

Source location
Response from Ministry of Defence
Page 3 · response
Published 7 March 2023
Open published response
25 Feb2016
South Lincolnshire
Concerns raised1
1. Lack of secure storage of unlicensed firearms
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
AI-generated summary

David Palmer · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

David Palmer, aged 59, died from a massive head injury caused by an unlicensed shotgun. The report notes that unlicensed firearms are generally not stored securely and may be available for impulsive use, and states that three of four firearm deaths investigated involved unlicensed weapons.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of secure storage of unlicensed firearms
Wider context from the report
“In the three and a half years I have investigated 4 deaths resulting from self-inflicted firearm wounds. Three of those involved unlicensed weapons. These weapons are generally not stored securely and are thus available for impulsive use. ”
Source location
David Palmer · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report