The Conservative leader was also confronted by the mother of a toddler killed by an air gun who accused him of “insensitivity”. Mr Howard had just said he thought that more bans on guns would not solve anything.

Mr Howard used a radio interview to say that the handgun prohibition that he initiated after the Dunblane massacre had “gone too far”.

His remarks, made on a tour of Scotland, were condemned by parents of the sixteen children murdered at Dunblane nine years ago, who said he was putting the interests of the gun lobby before public safety.

Mr Howard was asked about the clamour in Scotland for a UK-wide air gun ban after the death of the toddler, Andrew Morton, aged 2.

He said did not think that such a ban would solve the problem. “To be honest, I’m not sure we want to see more bans,” he said. “We want those who do have access to weapons to behave responsibly. I was Home Secretary at the time of the terrible tragedy of Dunblane and we did impose restrictions after that.

“I think the Labour Government went too far in banning handguns altogether, so I don’t think banning things necessarily solves problems. What we must do is encourage people if they do have access to weapons to use them responsibly.”

The reaction of bereaved parents overshadowed his speech to Scottish Tories at their spring conference in Dumfries where party activists had earlier heard calls for a crackdown on violent crime.

Sharon McMillan, Andrew Morton’s mother, accused the Tory leader of insensitivity.

“He didn’t have to bury one of his children this week — I did. How would he feel if it was his child who was shot in the head with an air gun? It’s incredibly insensitive for him to come out with something like this so close to my son’s funeral,” she said. “I think it’s disgusting the way Howard and other MPs can oppose a ban when they have no idea what life is like on a housing estate full of air guns.”

Her fury was echoed by Mick North, whose five-year-old daughter Sophie was shot dead at Dunblane Primary School in 1996 by Thomas Hamilton, a deranged gunman who later killed himself.

Dr North said that Mr Howard needed to stop “dealing in idealism” and should look at the reality. “Perhaps he could tell us how he will get people to act responsibly instead of putting across the views of the gun lobby,” he said.

“There are so many air guns out there and most of the people who have access to them are not the type of people who would want to go and learn how to shoot properly,” he said. “He was wrong about handguns in 1996 and is wrong about air guns now.” Labour also criticised the Tories. Peter Hain, the Leader of the Commons, said: “Mr Howard’s attack on the handgun ban is an insult to the victims of gun crime. It shows how out of touch Michael Howard is.”

Tory officials embarked on damage limitation after Mr Howard’s interview, saying that he was not suggesting that the handgun ban should be reversed.

Mr Howard was Home Secretary in John Major’s Cabinet at the time of Dunblane, and was not convinced that tough restrictions on handguns were needed. He was overruled by his colleagues who had been persuaded by Michael Forsyth, then the Scottish Secretary, that a ban was necessary.

Although legislation was eventually drawn up by the Conservative Government, a more far-reaching Bill, incorporating a complete ban, was implemented by Labour when it won power in 1997.

Labour has said it is considering calls for a ban on air guns.

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