EVEN IN Herefordshire our sense of security for ourselves and our families is being eroded, and more so in other parts of Britain.

Guns and the fear of violent crime and global instability make the news daily.

Many parents wonder what kind of country their children will grow up in. The bleak truth is that every minute of every day someone in the world is killed by armed violence.

Despite the proclaimed 'War on Terrorism', the easy availability of arms around the world fuels conflict from Colombia to Liberia to the streets of the UK, destroying lives, creating poverty and endangering human rights.

It is estimated there is one weapon for every 10 people on the planet. But none of this is inevitable.

Recently thousands of concerned individuals in this country pledged to help Amnesty International, Oxfam, and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) in their campaign, 'Control Arms'.

This aims to protect people from armed violence by calling for tough controls on the arms trade and local action to take illegal guns out of communities.

People from the local groups of Amnesty and Oxfam are joining thousands of others from around the world to push this campaign forward. Many will show their support by taking part in the campaign's stunning visual petition, which features photographs instead of signatures. This and other information can be viewed on www.controlarms.org.

We sincerely hope concerned people in Herefordshire will join us and support this important campaign and that together we can build a safer world.

ROS BRADBURY,

Secretary of Hereford/Leominster/Ludlow Amnesty International Group.