Britain's hopes of success in athletics events at the 2012 London Olympics could be hit by a ban on a popular starting pistol, an official from the sport's governing body said on Friday.
The Olympic .380 BBM was banned last month after being used in a series of shootings when police discovered criminal gangs had been converting the pistols from firing blanks to live ammunition.
But David Brown, firearms licensing manager for UK Athletics, has now said that races around the country had been brought to a "virtual standstill", with two years to go before the Games.
"The implications for our major Olympic sport in the lead-up to 2012 should not be underestimated," he said.
"The guns are the only thing that give a dual signal, a flash and smoke, to the athletes in front of you and the timekeepers.
"There is nothing else, except at the Olympic Games level where they have electronic guns. That is why it has been massively detrimental."
The gun is now banned in the United Kingdom and possession of it could lead to a prison sentence of up to five years.
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