Extra police staff have been put in place to try to tackle a firearm licence backlog in Norfolk.
But Norfolk's police and crime commissioner Colin Sutton has warned, despite efforts, people applying for licences are likely to experience delays for at least another year.
Reform's Mr Sutton, who succeeded Sarah Taylor in the police and crime commissioner role after an election last month, said Norfolk and Suffolk police currently manage 38,000 firearms certificates, the highest number in the UK outside of Police Scotland.
The backlog has been blamed on a combination of pandemic-related delays and extra checks following the 2021 shooting of five people in Plymouth, killed by Jake Davison.
Davison, who also killed himself, had been handed back his shotgun just a month previously.
The licensing process requires police to assess whether applicants pose a threat to public safety and have good reason to own a firearm.
Mr Sutton said staffing levels had been increased by 27pc to work through the backlog.
But even though the team is making 640 decisions per month, it is still not keeping pace with the 820 monthly decisions it would need to take to clear the backlog.
Mr Sutton said new software which would speed up the process has been ordered, but delays mean that will not be in place until June next year.
He said: "I would like to thank firearm users for their patience while we try to resolve the delays.
“Without the new software, it is anticipated that the current backlog will not clear until 2028."
Mr Sutton, a former Met Police detective, said the process also cost the forces money.
He said: "The cost to the constabularies of the current operation is £2.2m per year while the fees received are around £1m, so that is not a sustainable service model."
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