Boy playing in room moments before air rifle shot at window

A WORRIED Lymington resident has told how a suspected air rifle pellet fired into a bedroom window at his home could have injured his young grandson.

The two-and-a-half-year-old had been playing in the room just minutes before the double-glazed window at the property in Middle Road, Lymington, was hit, smashing through its outer pane.

John Sings told the A&T he had just settled the boy down for an afternoon nap around 1.15pm last Thursday when the incident took place.

“He was playing with the cat on the bed in our bedroom before I put him in his little cot in the next room and went downstairs for a cup of tea,” he recalled.

“I heard this bang noise and thought it was the youngster in the cot, but when I went upstairs to check he was still asleep, so it wasn’t him. I then went into our bedroom next door and saw the cat had jumped off our bed – he had obviously been spooked.

“I then saw this small hole in the corner of the window, and it looked like something had been fired at it.

“What really worries me is that window could have been open if it was the summer, and if the youngster was playing on the bed whatever it was could have hit him or it could have hit the cat.”

Although he believes the damage to the window was most likely caused by a pellet from an air rifle, Mr Signs was unable to find it.

Pointing out properties in the area are in close proximity to each other, he said that if someone was firing an air rifle nearby this posed a significant risk to others, including young children.

He added a neighbour in adjoining Eastern Road had experienced a similar incident at her home recently.

“This could be an accident – someone in a garden taking a pot shot as a bird which is pretty irresponsible,” he continued.

“Or it could be deliberate, in which case something should be done about that.”

Having reported the incident to police, the retired shipwright expressed disappointment that officers had not attended to investigate the scene.

“I know they’ve got more important things to do, but for something like this when a child could have been hurt,” he said, explaining his grandson, from Holbury, usually stays at the property twice a week.

“Somebody over here has got an air rifle so it could happen again and then it could be more serious.”

He also feared repairs for the damaged window could be expensive and result in a significant surge in his insurance cost. If the damage has been caused deliberately, he argued the person responsible should be made to foot the bill.

Anyone with information should contact Hampshire police on 101, quoting crime reference number 44190390576, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.