Children as young as seven have been issued with shotgun certificates, with West Mercia police granting a high number, data released under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed.

The figures showed 13 children under the age of 10 have been issued with licences in the UK over the past three years.

Gloucestershire police granted a licence to a seven year old, West Mercia and Cumbria approved a licence for an eight year old, and 10 other certificates were issued to nine year olds.

The figures, obtained by the BBC from 51 forces around the UK, showed that between 2008 and 2010, 7,071 licences were issued to under-18s.

Devon and Cornwall police granted the most certificates, 418, followed by West Mercia, 346, and Norfolk, 324. West Mercia Police said the eight-year-old boy held a licence for clay pigeon shooting and was supervised by his father.

In December, the Commons home affairs select committee described legislation in England and Wales as a "complex and confused" mess and called for tighter restrictions on gun licences.