A gun-owning councillor has spoken out in support of Donald Trump’s controversial claim that arming teachers could prevent school shootings.

The American president floated the proposal as emotional survivors of the February 14 massacre in a Florida High School urged him to make sure something similar doesn’t happen again.

Southend councillor, Brian Ayling, a gun owner for more than 50 years, says he supports the concept, believing it would be effective.

Mr Ayling, who has only ever shot at targets, has been a member of Southend on Sea Rifle and Pistol Company for 45 years. He believes knowing American teachers were armed and ready to act would be a huge deterrent for potential school shooters in the country.

He said: “My thoughts are the only way to stop someone with a gun, is by someone else having a gun, and providing you have more good people with guns than bad people with guns then the good people will prevail.

“We have thousands of registered firearm users. A lot of them are retired and just enjoy it for the dedication, the discipline, and the sport of shooting.

“Many of these people would have no hesitation in staring in the face of evil and acting accordingly, and I do not doubt that teachers would do the same.

“They would have to have training and psychology assessments of course. We are not talking about just handing teachers guns as soon as they qualify to teach.”

Mr Ayling insisted his theory was about saving “needlessly lost lives”.

He said: “You will never eradicate gun owners, and it would be silly to try, but the fact is that criminals are generally cowards, and if they are faced with a gun they will back down.

“If every classroom had a cupboard, locked, which the teacher only had access to, with a gun inside, it would be a deterrent.

“If someone went to shoot up a school, and knew every teacher was armed with a gun, I am almost certain they would think twice.

“This isn’t being armed to protect yourself. This is being armed to protect children and students. “