Hundreds of children across England and Wales aged 13 and under have been awarded official shotgun licences, according to new figures.

The data, released by the Home Office for the first time, shows a total of 313 youngsters hold the documents, which entitle them to shoot provided they are supervised by an adult.

Children cannot shoot unsupervised until they are 15, and cannot own or hire any firearm until they are 21.

In addition, the figures reveal that there are a total of 3,938 holders of shotgun or firearms licences aged 17 or under.

313 shotgun licences held by children aged 13 and under

567,015 shotgun licences held across England and Wales in total

1,349 shotgun certificates were revoked in 2015/16

The minimum age for a firearms certificate is 14.

Christopher Graffius, from the The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said youngsters use shotguns for target shooting and country shooting.

"The police and courts and government over the years have said that it is in the interests of public safety that those that are being taught to shoot learn these habits at an early age," he said.

The process of obtaining their licence helped impress on youngsters the "importance of discipline and safety", he added.

313 children hold shotgun licences in England and Wales, figures show Credit: PA

Overall, the figures revealed there were 153,404 active firearms certificates across the country as of March this year, covering 539,194 guns.

There were also 567,015 active shotgun licences, covering 1.3 million shotguns.

The UK has some of the toughest gun control laws in the world, and applications for a licence are granted or refused by local police forces after a series of checks including interviews, visits and references.

Officers can also revoke a licence if they have reason to suspect the holder poses a risk to public safety, or if they can no longer prove they have a good reason for owning a firearm.

In 2015/16, 396 firearms certificates and 1,349 shotgun certificates were revoked, both slightly lower than the previous year.