11:41am Monday 17th September 2007
By Jane Bruccoleri
The founder of a Croydon website where people can trade unwanted items for free has issued a stark warning to members not to trade weapons online.
Nick Skeet, who set up the Croydon arm of Freecycle, has told members of the group that "firearms and weapons" of any sort are not to be offered or requested.
A blanket ban on advertising replicas, air powered or pump action weapons and ornamental swords is in place on the site.
A notice on the site says: "I know that some people belong to clubs and want guns for use there. However this is not something we will venture into at Croydon-Freecycle."
Mr Skeet, from Upper Norwood, said he felt it necessary to issue the warning after one member used the site to request an air rifle.
"With everything that's been going on recently, especially around my area with what happened to Evren Anil, I wanted to put a stop to it," he explained, adding: "I don't want Freecycle to end up being a part of something like that - for there to be a newspaper report saying something awful has happened to someone and the perpetrator got that weapon off Freecycle."
Since it's launch in November last year, 2,770 members have signed up to Croydon Freecycle. And while the majority of those online act in good faith, Mr Skeet said some do masquerade as charities or claim they are disabled to get goods for free.
He described the problem as the "sad side" to Freecycle but added that with five moderators now on board, the site is cracking down on rogue users and inappropriate goods.
Mr Skeet said: "The guy who asked for the air rifle, he may have been innocent but I don't see the need for a gun. if you want to shoot things play with computer games or go to an accredited club where they have the weapons safely locked away.
"Years ago you would struggle to find an air rifle never mind buy one but now we've got all these kids who have them and they must be using the internet to source them."
But according to Mr Skeet, if anyone goes on Freecycle to attempt to source a weapon - there will be consequences.
"If someone does try to trade a weapon, we will be informing the police. I won't let anything dodgy go on on this site."
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