Gun culture affects whole country, not just some communities

* Over 5 million adults "know how to acquire illegal firearm", including nearly 1 in 5 men

* 1 in 8 men say they know someone who has or has had an illegal firearm

* nearly half of adults say their area is less safe as a result of gun and knife crime

* nearly a third say they or their family are threatened by gun and knife crime

* 76% of adults want more armed police patrols to combat gun and knife crime

* 88% want an increase in the five year minimum sentence of possessing an illegal firearm

A large proportion of the population across Britain are affected by gun crime and the fear of it, contrary to Government claims that it is restricted to certain inner-city communities. A report, Gun and Knife Crime in Great Britain, published by 'Think Tank of the Year' Policy Exchange on the day that police leaders and ministers debate gun crime at the Police Superintendents' Association annual conference, includes a nationwide YouGov survey showing that illegal firearms are far more widely and readily available than usually thought. The report shows that an overwhelming majority of the public wants the Government to take tougher action against gun and knife crime, notably by increasing the number of armed police patrols.

As gun crime has shot up the political agenda in the wake of a spate of child murders, ministers have sought to reassure the public by saying that it only affects a small section of society in certain parts of the country. However, Gun and Knife Crime in Great Britain shows that Britain's gun culture now affects not just lower income groups but all sections of society, and in all parts of the country. London is confirmed as the gun crime capital of Britain, with more people knowing how to get guns and more people feeling threatened by them than the rest of the country. The report contains detailed statistics on gun crime, showing the number of fatalities and injuries has increased from 864 incidents in 1998/9 to 3821 in 2005/6.

Gavin Lockhart, Research Director of Policy Exchange, said: "It is clear that it is no longer just hardened criminals who have access to guns or deprived inner city communities which are affected by them. Britain's gun culture has become so endemic it affects huge swathes of the population, with millions of people saying they know how to get hold of illegal firearms and millions more feeling personally threatened by them. It is no surprise that gun crime casualties have quadrupled in the past decade, or that voters are demanding the government take a far more hardline stance. The British traditionally prefer having unarmed bobbies, but they have become so frightened of gun crime the overwhelming majority now wants more armed police patrols."

The first ever survey to assess how widespread the gun culture has become shows that 12% of adults say they know how to acquire an illegal firearm - equivalent to around 5.5 million adults. The figures show relatively little variation around Britain, with a large minority in all regions knowing how to get a gun, although the highest numbers are in London and Scotland.

Men, young people and those from lower social classes are more likely to know how to get a gun. Men are three times more likely than women to say they know how to buy a gun, with 18% - nearly one in five - saying they do, compared to 6% of women. Men and women aged 18-24 year are more than twice as likely (19%) as over 55-year-olds to say they know how to get one.

For many people, guns are no longer something they only read about in newspapers, with 12% saying they know someone who has, or has had, an illegal firearm.

Nearly half the population feel increasingly threatened by gun and knife crime, with 45% of respondents saying that their area is less safe than it was five years ago as a result of gun and knife crime. Despite the increase in police in the capital, more than half of Londoners - 56% - feel less safe as a result of gun and knife crime than they did five years ago.

Gun crime is often seen as something only affecting criminal gangs, using the weapons against eachother, with the wider public being under little danger. But the survey shows that ordinary people are afraid for their own personal safety. Nearly a third of respondents (29%) say they, or their family, are threatened by gun and knife crime, rising to 42% in London. Rural areas aren't free from the threat of gun and knife crime, with 23% of residents saying they or their family is threatened.

The rise in gun crime and the fear of it has led to the vast majority of the public wanting tougher action. Although the government has taken steps to curb gun crime, 82% of people believe the government has not done enough. Only 2% "strongly agree" that the government has done enough.

In particular, nearly 88% support an increase in the five year minimum sentence for possessing an illegal firearm, with 63% strongly supporting such a move. Historically, the overwhelming majority of Britain's police is not armed, a stance supported by the government. However, fear of gun crime has risen so much that 72% want an increase in armed police patrols, with 33% strongly supporting such a move.

* The poll was conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of Policy Exchange. Total sample size was 2,156 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd - 5th September 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). Northern Ireland was excluded from the survey.