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The mortified mother of an 11-year-old boy who was shot in the head while climbing over a fence to get his football back has now spoken out about the shock incident.
The youngster was playing with his pals in the back garden of a property in Leyland, Lancashire, on Monday evening (20 May) before he was struck by a metal pellet, which is reported to have been fired from an air weapon.
The football that the lads were having a kick about with ended up going over a fence in Roadtrain Avenue at around 7.20pm, so the schoolboy decided to scale the fence to retrieve it.
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As he climbed up, he was shot behind the ear - with doctors saying the pellet missed his brain by a fraction.
The 11-year-old was rushed to Alder Hey Hospital in wake of the incident with a fractured skull and had to undergo surgery. He is said to have been left with a hole which is the size of a 5p coin in his skull.
Despite his ordeal, the young lad's mother said he is 'doing okay, considering he's been shot in the head'.
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The stunned parent, who asked not to be name, recalled how she saw her son sporting a tea towel on his head while his friends were 'shouting he had been shot'.
She told the Daily Telegraph: "I was in shock. One minute he was playing football and the next he is collapsed on the floor.
"He spent three nights at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool and he's been left with a hole to size of a 5p coin. It narrowly missed his brain, so he has been lucky. He's a tough lad."
The mum initially suspected he had been struck by a BB gun, but police later said that it was an air rifle.
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She added: "It is very worrying. There are a lot of children on this estate and a lot of their mothers are really worried now."
Lancashire Police announced on Thursday (23 May) that they had identified a 'juvenile' who they described as 'someone of interest to our investigation'.
Detective Inspector Paul Mulrooney said: "I'm grateful to those who have come forward with information so far.
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"We have now identified someone, and we will be speaking to that individual in due course. We are confident there is no wider risk to anyone in the community.
"Thankfully the victim's injuries are not serious, and he is making a good recovery."
Parents in the area have since said they are now scared to let their kids play out after the frightening incident.
One mum said: "It is really scary. Who could do such a thing to a young lad who was only playing football?
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"Ever since it happened the streets around here have been a lot quieter because you can tell people are frightened what might happen until someone is caught."
Another concerned parent also told the Telegraph: "It's appalling to think someone is taking shots at a child who was just climbing a fence to get their ball back."
Olivia Burke