A photographer for the Evening Gazette was shot at by a youth with a pellet gun when he stopped to take pictures of the teenager firing at cars from a rooftop.

Dave Charnley was in central Middlesbrough when he heard gunshots and spotted three youngsters on top of a 30ft building. One of the youths was shooting at passing vehicles below.

When the teenager caught Dave taking his photograph he aimed his fire at the photographer's car.

Dave managed to photograph two of the youths, with one of them re-loading the weapon.

He said: "It was very worrying because he could have put lives at risk. If a car went by at some speed one of those pellets could have easily shattered a window.

"I stopped to get something from a shop and I could hear the click of the gun and I looked around to see where the noise was coming from.

"I looked up on the roof and saw these kids with one of them holding what looked like a handgun.

"He was firing at passers-by. When they spotted me he started firing at my car."

Police officers are now studying the Gazette's pictures.

Superintendent Steve Ashman, of Middlesbrough police, said: "The danger in these incidents is that we would normally send an armed response unit to the scene.

"I don't consider ball bearing guns to be a toy. It's incredible that any parent would allow a child access to these types of weapons. The reality is that imitation weapons look extremely realistic and it is very difficult for members of the public and trained firearms officers to tell them apart from the real thing."

Click here to read about the Gazette's Ban Young Guns campaign.

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