A CHILD could be blinded by the pellets from toy brandished by children as young as ten, it was warned today.A Hadleigh father, who didn't want to be named, spotted primary school children firing ball bearing guns at passers by.

By Amanda Cresswell

amanda.cresswell@eveningstar.co.uk

A CHILD could be blinded by the pellets from toys brandished by children as young as ten, it was warned today.

A Hadleigh father, who didn't want to be named, spotted primary school children firing ball bearing guns at passers-by.

Three of his children have already been hit by the plastic pellets, and he now fears someone could be seriously hurt.

"This new craze that is starting to appear in Hadleigh is very dangerous," said the 35-year-old.

"When the pellets hit you they sting. That's even with a jumper and T-shirt on. The bigger ones can cut into your skin.

"You can get plastic pellets and metal ones. They are potentially lethal. It is only a matter of time before someone is blinded or worse.

"I blame shopkeepers and market traders, not just for selling them to children, but even to stock them.

"From what children have told me they sell them at pocket money prices and sell them to anyone. I think even parents are buying them for their children."

He collected ten plastic bullets in a matter of minutes from outside his home, and said children fire the guns at people's windows.

He said: "It is getting very dangerous. I won't have my kids playing outside in the garden because of this. Kids can get hurt and I don't want it to happen to mine."

A spokesman from Suffolk Police said: "We have had reports of people receiving minor injuries from BB guns and they have the potential to cause more serious injury.

"Of course if we receive a report from a member of the public where they see what appears to be a firearm obviously we take it very seriously.

"It could result in the deployment of firearms officers and that speaks for itself."

Dr Paul Silverston, chairman of the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, warned of the dangers of BB guns.

"Most of them don't fire projectiles that can penetrate the skin. The majority of cases sting when they hit you and don't penetrate the clothing.

"But the main risk is hitting people in the eye because it can cause permanent eye damage.