Church leaders in the US and the wider international community have called for tighter gun control following Monday's tragic mass killing at Virginia Tech University in the US.

The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the US, the Rev Bob Edgar, has called for "meaningful" legislation to put a stop to gun violence in the US.

"Faith leaders have spoken up continually about the epidemic of gun violence in our country," Edgar said. "Despite repeated calls from faith and community leaders to Congress and presidents nothing ever seems to get done to stem the tide."

Edgar, himself a former Member of Congress, criticised political leaders in the US for failing to give gun violence enough attention.

"How many more will have to die before we say enough is enough? How many more senseless deaths will have to be counted before we enact meaningful firearms control in this country?

"How many more of our pastors, rabbis and imams will have to preside over caskets of innocent victims of gun violence because a nation refused to stop the proliferation of these small weapons of mass destruction?" said Edgar, who called for an end to the manufacture and "easy distribution" of firearms in the US.

The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, expressed his "deep sorrow" over "this new horror of random violence" at Virginia Tech.

Dr Samuel Kobia criticised the "widespread availability of deadly weapons" highlighted by the fatal college shooting and called for "firm and appropriate controls" on the globalised trade in small arms.

The "pro-gun position adopted by the US administration" has been "one of the major obstacles" to progress towards that goal, he said.