Ball bearing guns look like genuine firearms

One of their concerns is the rise in the use of ball-bearing (BB) guns which are normally used for target practice.

They fear that they can look like real weapons and in the wrong hands can be as dangerous.

Teachers' union, the NASUWT, knows of two incidents over the last 18 months where teachers have been shot by BB guns.

Deputy general secretary Chris Keates fears that they are being misused and she is concerned that they look genuine.

Obviously if it hits somebody in the eye though it could blind them - these weapons are as dangerous as the person using them Brian Thomas

"Although this sort of thing isn't happening every day we are concerned that these weapons are easily obtainable and they look real," she said.

"The two teachers who were shot with these weapons were not badly injured but these ball bearings can be as lethal as a bullet if they hit you in the eye."

Brian Thomas, National Rifle Association director of shooting, is an expert on BB guns and says that if one of them is fired at another person from close range it will sting.

"Obviously if it hits somebody in the eye though, it could blind them," he added.

"These weapons are as dangerous as the person using them."

Orange substitute

One way to distinguish BB guns from the real thing could be to introduce bright orange or yellow plastic guns, according to Mr Thomas.

He added: "A lot of the ball bearing guns used at our show are not like the old ones.

"They tend to be plastic and they are either bright orange or yellow so they can be distinguished from the real thing.

"I think it is a good idea to do this because it will attract people who genuinely have an interest in shooting.

"They don't care if it is bright orange or made of plastic. It doesn't have to look like the real thing."

It is difficult to tell the difference if they are brandished in public Insp Shaun Skelton Derby Police

Shaun Skelton, temporary inspector of community safety at Derby Police, believes the problem lies in the fact that people want BB guns to look real.

"I think the difficulty is people buy these guns because they look like the real McCoy and they want them to look like that. This is where the problem lies.

"It is difficult to tell the difference if they are brandished in public and there is always a danger that something could go wrong," he said.

Insp Skelton claims that his branch receives a lot of calls from members of the public who fear that they have seen young people brandishing guns.

"We have had many calls like this which we have to respond to and this can often be difficult.

"But under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 it is an offence to carry an air weapon or imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority and we have the powers to deal with misuse," he added.

Readily available

BB guns are legal to buy and they are readily available on the internet.

But Tony Rainbird, managing director of Inter-Mediates Ltd which trades on the web as Special Reserve, says they have strict regulations on purchase.

His website issues a special warning at the top of the page which states: "BB guns are not toys, their use and sale is restricted to persons aged 18 and over. All BB Guns come with free safety goggles. Always read the instructions carefully."

The site also has a list of safety regulations printed next to each item.

"We have been in contact with local police and they are satisfied with the way we are selling our product," Mr Rainbird said.

"On our website you need a credit card to purchase the product and these are only held by adults. We also have the person's address on record.

"We sell BB guns in our shops as well but they are kept behind glass.