The problem is that so many places sell air weapons, but there is practically nowhere to shoot them. In the days when dad taught me to shoot with my old webley .177, at the age of 5 or 6, we could walk to the local tip by the side of the river Trent and shoot at cans, or bits of wood in the river, or rats in the evening. No one got into any trouble, and none was caused.
Father-in-law lets a few responsible people from the village take their air rifles down the fields. To be honest the bottom field, with lots of bushes, and old building foundations from when it was requisitioned by the RAF in 1940 is overrun with rabbits. They are running out of food and invading gardens in the village. Not to mention eating grass that is intended to be processed into beef. A lot of the old farmers have no problem with locals doing the same. But the newcomers buying up land, or the agribusiness farmers wont do that.
If somewhere was provided for the kids, or adults to shoot, there would be less trouble. Well apart from the small minority looking for sick fun. In my day we were to afraid of getting "had up" by the local bobby. Now some of the kids from certain families know that they are untouchable. Or that some bleeding heart do gooders will explain that they shot at passers by because they have deprived family backgrounds, and they are just a bit mixed up. Some well paid solicitor will earn a fortune off legal aid, getting the police told off for victimising them, and contravening their human rights, and suggest the taxpayer needs to send them somewhere warm to swim with dolphins to compensate them. :bang:
Yes, I do have a powerful and accurate compressed air weapon, and my kids all know how to shoot responsibly, they where taught from an early age. In fact, the oldest, when she was 8 or 9, loved going out with Pete next door and his son, with shotguns and ferrets in the local woods. I also have a wax jacket, and hunter wellies. But draw the line at a flat cap or Labrador.
And as for planting evidence. Way out of line. My younger brother used to do that. He was in with one of these extreme animal rights groups. They used to buy thick sea fishing line and big carp hooks, and huge floats. Then plant "angling" litter for publicity stunts. I caught him out one night. He had a carrier bag of line and hooks in his room, and was tying lengths of line up with hooks, and scrunching it into balls. Days later he had press photo's of a "clean up" they did in a public park, with bags of fishing stuff.