What's the law regarding guns on public footpaths?

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What's the law regarding guns on public footpaths?

There are few shoots which don't have a public path on them.

By David Frost

Wednesday, 06 June 2012

I've got photographs of a man with a gun on a public footpath. What's the law regarding this?

GUNS ON PUBLIC FOOTPATHS
David Frost
Your question is a little vague but I assume you’re talking about someone with a shotgun ready for use.

A public footpath counts as a public place but there is nothing to stop you carrying a loaded shotgun on a public footpath if you have shooting rights over the adjacent land.

Many shoots have public footpaths on them and the land on which the footpath runs will almost certainly belong to the landowner who will also own the shooting rights.

If you are using the footpath as a means of getting from one place to another, for example from your car to the foreshore, the gun should be unloaded and in a slip.