RESIDENTS have expressed their fears about the opening of a new gun club at a former RAF base, claiming it will shatter their peace and put people in danger.

RESIDENTS have expressed their fears about the opening of a new gun club at a former RAF base, claiming it will shatter their peace and put people in danger.

The Bentwaters Rod and Gun Club 2000 Ltd, near Woodbridge, hopes to open in time for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in June. Its owner, Neville Bilverstone, has spent 18 months and thousands of pounds trying to calm residents' concerns.

Soundproofing measures are being completed and the club is finalising details over the last section of a noise attenuation bund with Suffolk Coastal District Council.

But villagers in nearby Tunstall claim the measures taken are not good enough – and that the siting of the new club is too close to a public footpath. More than 100 people have signed a petition against the development and the parish council has also registered its disapproval.

Resident John Higgins, of Orford Road, Tunstall, said he believed the club would present a threat to a footpath that runs alongside the bund.

"There are definite safety concerns about the footpath, especially with shots being fired into the air. It could force the path to close because it would be too dangerous to walk along," he said.

Mr Higgins, 50, and his wife, Sue, also voiced worries about the noise from the club – which they say is situated close to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.