text: The number of firearm licence holders in New South Wales has increased by more than 20 per cent in the last five years. Currently, a total of 215,462 licences exist compared to the 177,675 owned in 2010, according to figures obtained by News Corp. Tamworth, 403km north of Sydney, was revealed to have the most number of firearm licences - 3259 - with Bathurst, 200km west of Sydney, a close second at 3075. Currently, a total of 215,462 licences exist in New South Wales compared to the 177,675 owned in 2010. Pictured: NSW police busted an illegal firearm operation in the Casino and Lismore areas last month . Both suburbs saw an increase of almost 500 guns in their areas over the last five years. Detective Superintendent Mick Plotecki (pictured) said US's popular national gun laws and pop culture was likely to be driving the increase . Detective Superintendent Mick Plotecki said the United State's popular national gun laws, and the country's influence on Australia through popular culture, was likely to be driving the increase in licence holders in the state. 'There is an element in the community who are swayed by the US culture that guns are a right rather than a privilege,' Supt Plotecki told News Corp. 'Generally speaking however Australians don't have a strong gun culture and recent strong reaction against relaxing our gun ownership laws is indicative of this - Australians don't want lax gun laws'. He added that there did not appear to have been an increase in gun related crime that related to the increase in licences. Although the figures revealed that each person with a licence owns an average of 2.3 guns each, the Firearm Registry's regulations suggest it's not easy to acquire a licence. Each request must include a 'genuine reason', proved through supporting evidence, with each reason in turn holding restrictions on the type of gun that can be owned. Sport, recreational hunting, rural occupation, firearms collection and animal welfare are all listed as 'genuine reasons'. Tamworth, 403km north of Sydney, was revealed to have the most number of firearm licences - 3259 - with Bathurst, 200km west of Sydney, a close second at 3075. Pictured: NSW police seized this gun, amongst many more, during a drug bust in western Sydney in January .
target: Firearm licence holders grew from 177,675 to 215,462 in the last five years .
  Tamworth has the most at 3259, with Bathurst a close second at 3075 .
  However there has not been a related increase in gun related crime .
  Detective Superintendent Mick Plotecki said U.S.'s popular national gun laws and their influence through pop culture, is likely reason for increase .