In yesterday’s Courier, columnist Jim Spence argued that all police officers should be trained and have immediate access to firearms.

He was supporting a call, from David Kennedy of the Scottish Police Federation, that if every officer had such access, then those wielding knives would be at risk of getting shot.

After reading Jim’s article, I took the dog for a walk among the abundant snowdrops springing up in blankets all around – a tangible reminder of the changing seasons.

But to generations of Scots, these delicate white flowers will forever be a poignant reminder of one of our darkest days.

On March 13 1996, evil visited Dunblane when 16 primary one pupils and their teacher were shot dead by a gunman whose name deserves never to be repeated.

The kids were barely more than infants when their lives were ended in the most unspeakable horror.

Next month brings the 30th anniversary of what remains the worst mass shooting in our history.

Fifteen other classmates were also shot. They were lucky, even if it is incongruous to describe them like that when they’ve lived with the trauma ever since.

Something truly good sprang from Dunblane tragedy

Yet from that horror sprang something truly........

© The Courier