THE Shadow Home Secretary has backed a family’s campaign for tighter gun laws in the wake of the Horden shootings.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper today (Tuesday, May 7) urged the Government to toughen proposed regulations in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech to try to ensure that people with a history of domestic violence are not granted firearms licences.

Members of the Turnbull family have been campaigning since the tragedy on New Year’s Day 2012 at the family home in Horden, near Peterlee, County Durham.

Taxi driver Michael Atherton, who had a record of domestic violence, killed his partner, Susan McGoldrick, her sister Alison Turnbull and Ms Turnbull’s daughter Tanya before shooting himself dead.

Ms Turnbull’s son, Bobby Turnbull, has spearheaded the campaign, meeting politicians and launching petitions. In particular they want greater sharing of information between health professionals and the police.

Ms Cooper said: “The Home Secretary should tighten gun laws in the Queen's Speech.

“People with a history of domestic violence should not be allowed to own guns. The Coroner in the Atherton case was right to call for ‘root and branch’ reform of gun licensing.

“Bobby Turnbull has been campaigning for tighter restrictions on gun ownership after the tragedy that hit his family.

“Atherton had a history of domestic violence and he should never have been given a gun.

“Yet the existing licencing framework is much too weak on domestic violence and too variable in the way it is enforced.

"That's why Theresa May should take the chance of the Queen's Speech to tighten the restrictions and legislate to reduce the chance of similar tragedies in future.

“What the Turnbull family have had to go through is harrowing and I pay tribute to them for taking this campaign forward.”