A NEW gun shop planned for Pill has been causing some concern in the village.

A NEW gun shop planned for Pill has been causing some concern in the village.

The owners of Top Shop, in Lodway, have closed the food shop and will opening up a country sports store in March selling guns, archery equipment and clothes.

A number of residents raised fears about a gun shop opening up in the village, but the owners have said the shop will not sell any replica guns and all rifles and shotguns will be on sale for sporting purposes only.

Nan Kirsen, North Somerset's ward councillor for Pill, said: "I had quite a lot of people contacting me concerned it was just going to be a gun shop, but the owners have confirmed it's going to be a country sports and clothing store.

"They've said the guns sold will be purely for hunting. I think it will allay people's fears when they see it professionally run."

After a number of complaints, the store owners Richard and Claire Reeve, who have been registered firearms dealers for more than 20 years, wrote a letter to the Pill Paper to assure residents the shop will be opened as a Country Sports Shop.

The couple, who live in Pill and run a similar store in Bedminster, confirmed they would be selling 'shotguns, sporting rifles and airguns, all of which will be stored in a secure strong room, as specified by the police, and connected to a constantly monitored alarm system'.

Richard and Claire said: "We shall not be selling pistols, so called 'soft air' guns. BB guns, replica or toy guns of any sort and there will be nothing connected with guns on display in any of the shop windows.