Mr Wilkinson said, “This new system is a logistical nightmare which does not recognise the outstanding record of those who have legally-held firearms in this country in the past.
“IFA Countryside has been inundated with complaints from worried members who are seriously considering abandoning the sport altogether.”
He added that “the licensing system should aim to keep firearms out of the hands of undesirables while making it user-friendly for those who use them legally. IFA Countryside were at no point, during the firearms consultative panels meetings, informed that red tape of this degree was going to be introduced.”