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Airgun sniper targets family

Stephen Foster
17/12/2004

A FOUR-MONTH-OLD baby and her parents were lucky to escape serious injury when a sniper armed with an airgun attacked their car.

Alison Fox was driving her husband Paul to work along Drake Street on Wednesday morning when the back window of her Renault Clio was completely shattered after being hit by an air gun pellet.

She says a pedestrian told her he had just been hit in the leg with a pellet.

JobCentre worker Mrs Fox said: "The whole back window came into the car.

"Fortunately Lucy was with me in the front passenger seat, but my husband Paul was showered with glass.

"A pedestrian came up to me and said he had just been shot in the back of the leg. I flagged down a passing policeman, but the attacker was nowhere to be seen.

"It is like living in Beirut and we were in total shock.

"Luckily the back window of the car is safety glass and just shattered. Normally my husband travels to work on his motorbike but it was in for a service.

"At the moment I am on maternity leave. The people from Holly's cafe took me in and offered me a cup of tea.

"I did not know what had happened at first.

"It was the policeman who said it must have been an airgun pellet because a stone would not have caused that kind of damage.

"Someone could have been killed if it had come through the windscreen. As it was the baby's pram in the back was showered with glass."

Police are appealing for witnesses and Detective Inspector Martin Jeffs said it was a very serious incident which could have led to a crash and serious injuries. Unfortunately, there was no description of the offender.

He said: "It was a ridiculous and dangerous thing to do. The child and her parents were very lucky to escape serious injury.

"Inquiries are going on and rest assured if the culprit is brought to justice he can expect a severe sentence."