MP Julia Drown has joined anti-air gun groups at Westminster to pressurise the government to tighten laws over the possession of replica firearms.

Ms Drown, MP for South Swindon, met police representatives and MPs from around the country who came to listen to the experiences of families whose children had been injured by air guns.

She said the number of crimes involving replica guns had gone up from 7,500 five years ago to 10,200 in 2001/02 and as a result there was increasing public concern about the guns being in irresponsible hands.

Under current legislation, children as young as 14 can possess and use the weapons unsupervised.

At the meeting a number of recommendations to the government were proposed.

These included increasing the minimum age for possessing a replica gun to 18 years, making sure all air guns are certified and having stricter controls on advertising.

Ms Drown said: "There was a lot of press there which is key to raising the profile of this issue, and a lot of MPs which will help get the issue pushed up in Parliament."

Yesterday, Home Secretary David Blunkett told MPs that a fresh appraisal of current rules was underway and he would seek all party agreement on new measures.