 Although made mostly of plastic, some air guns look realistic |
Police in Guernsey say they are investigating incidents involving the wrongful use of air guns. There have been at least two cases where islanders were either hurt or narrowly escaped serious injury by weapons which fire pellets or ball bearings.
One woman was left bruised after being shot at in the garden of her home.
In another incident, a 12-year-old boy was fired at whilst sitting at a desk beside his bedroom window.
A pellet shattered the first layer of glass in the double-glazed window.
On Tuesday, the boy's grandmother called for pellet and BB guns to be banned in the island.
Police Inspector Mike Brown says users must act responsibly with the guns.
 Some guns fire plastic ball bearings |
He said if they do not, they will have to face the consequences - which could include being arrested and facing charges. The GSPCA is also backing calls for a ban on the pellet guns.
Animal welfare officer Jenny Fox said the weapons have been used on animals as well and are potentially lethal to wildlife.
Birds have been the main targets but domestic animals have suffered pellet injuries as well, she said.
Mrs Fox says the damage caused by the weapons can be very serious. In some cases, animals have had to be put down because of the severity of their injuries.
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