Post Windsor Castle break-in, crossbow laws to be reviewed in UK

The UK home secretary, Priti Patel, has ordered a study into crossbow ownership, only days after a 19-year-old man was arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day allegedly carrying the weapon.

The Metropolitan Police Service is looking into a video that has been linked to the suspect and purports to show a masked individual with a crossbow threatening to “assassinate the Queen.”

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Patel had directed the department to look into ways to “strengthen controls” on the weapons, according to a spokesperson for the Home Office.

The spokesperson said: “Crossbows are subject to controls, and legislation is in place to deal with those who use them as a weapon.

“At the home secretary’s request, we are considering options to strengthen controls on crossbows. Work on this has been ongoing throughout the year, and we keep all relevant laws under review to maintain public safety.”

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The man apprehended on Christmas Day on the grounds of the Berkshire castle where the Queen resides has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Whitehall sources told the Daily Telegraph that officials had been told to “incorporate any lessons” learned from the arrest into a review of crossbow rules planned earlier this year.

Anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a crossbow, and anyone selling a crossbow to someone under the age of 18 is also prohibited. Crossbows are potentially offensive weapons, and they are prohibited from being carried in public without lawful permission or a good reason.

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According to MailOnline, the father of the 19-year-old arrested on Christmas Day said on Monday: “Something’s gone horribly wrong with our son and we are trying to figure out what.”

“We’ve not had a chance to speak to him but are trying to get him the help he needs,” he said. “From our perspective, we are going through a difficult time. We are trying to resolve this issue and it’s not easy.”