The number of firearm certificates being held in Norfolk has fallen ahead of the strengthening of controls to prevent anyone deemed medically unfit from owning a gun.
Anyone who owns a firearm must register it with the police.
Following the mass shooting in Plymouth last August, when licensed firearms holder Jake Davison, 22, killed five people, police forces were told to review firearm application processes, including vetting procedures.
This week a new system of digital markers was applied to people’s medical records, flagging up to patients who have applied for, or been granted, a firearms' certificate.
The change will mean GPs can alert the police, who can then ensure that licensed gun holders who may no longer be fit to own a firearm are identified, their licence reviewed and potentially their firearm seized.
Former policing minister Kit Malthouse said: "We have some of the strictest gun control laws in the world and we will not hesitate to bring in even stronger processes where we see the need for them.
"The imminent inquest into the tragic shootings in Sussex and impending first anniversary of the horrific shootings in Plymouth are a stark reminder of how much we owe it to the public to take these matters seriously."
Farming and the popularity of rural pursuits means Norfolk has the second highest number of people licensed to own a shotgun per 100,000 people in England and Wales, behind only Dyfed-Powys.
But the number of both shotgun and firearm certificates held in the county fell in the year ending March 2022.
Latest Home Office figures reveal there are now 20,223 gun licence holders, down from 21,166 in the previous 12 months, with 19,832 shotgun certificate holders and 5,121 licenced for other firearms. Some people hold licences for both.
Among them were 59 under-18s who hold a shotgun licence, six of whom were aged 13 or under.
Norfolk police refused eight shotgun certificate applications and revoked 28 firearms licences in the last 12 months while 13 guns were reported either stolen or lost.
The new system will see doctors automatically alerted if a relevant change in their medical situation is recorded - this could include a change in their mental health, a diagnosis of a neurological condition or evidence or drug or alcohol abuse.
NHS Digital CEO Simon Bolton said: "The addition of this marker to GP records is a prime example of how a digitally enabled healthcare service benefits patients and the public.
"This new system will also reduce the administrative burden for GPs, giving them more time to deliver care."
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