Historic Starting Pistol Confiscated in England

A HISTORIC race in Bampton will go off with less of a bang this year after police confiscated the starting pistol.

The Original Great Shirt Race is run between the village’s pubs and is believed to date back centuries.

Traditionally, it was always started by firing a 12-bore shotgun into the air, but police stopped that practice in 2000.

The shotgun was replaced with a starting pistol but now Government legislation means this year’s event will start with an airhorn.

The pistol was confiscated from race starter John Buckingham over concerns it could be converted into a lethal weapon.