A Tory MP in trouble for saying he wanted to shoot a deer has apologised ... for suggesting he would use the wrong type of weapon for the kill.
Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies tweeted on Saturday: "Beautiful antlered stag in the garden, grazing on shrubs border. Oohs of admiration from family. I just wished I still had my 12 bore handy."
The Tweet enraged animal rights groups - via some prodding from the Daily Mirror. The RSPCA said: "It is sad when people can’t see the beauty in a wild animal like this and just want to kill it.”
Writing on his blog, Davies concedes his comment was a mistake. "It seems that some animal rights groups had considered this an offensive comment for an MP to make," he said.
"I accept that reference to a 12 bore was wrong. It should have been a .22 or some other rifle. Someone I know once did shoot a deer with a shotgun - a truly dreadful thing to do. He never did it again."
Davies added that he had not shot anything for over 40 years although did admit to shooting at, and missing, squirrels and "horrid feral cat" with an air-gun.
He added: "Unfortunately I do not have a gun, or a gun licence - so it can be no more than a dream. I suppose I could buy a bow and arrow. I am after all the reigning Parliamentary Archery Champion."