I couldn’t believe it when my local radio station contacted me last week to ask how I’d feel if I was forced to stock shooting magazines out of children’s sight up on my top shelf along with the porn titles.

This frankly silly idea was sparked by animal rights group Animal Aid which claims that the “lurid, pro-violence content” of country sports magazines could have a “corrosive, long-lasting effect on impressionable young minds”.

They also want the shooting magazines to be classified in the same category as porn. According to Animal Aid, these magazines are a bad influence on children and encourage cruelty to animals. Although there is no evidence that reading these magazines would make anyone act cruelly towards animals.

I told the local radio station what I’m telling you now, that having to stock these magazines on the top shelf will make life even more difficult for us independent retailers, many of whom are already struggling.

Surely we all agree that newsagents cannot keep stocking everything on the top shelf! We have limited shelf space and it would be so silly having to put these magazines on the top shelf when the lower shelves are empty.

Educating children about this would be the way forward rather than putting pressure on newsagents. I for one do not want to be told where to stock perfectly legal products in my own shop.

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