BUILDINGS were blasted but incredibly no-one was injured during a two-hour shooting spree through the borough.

Customers in pubs, diners enjoying a meal and families in their homes were put at risk when windows were fired on.

Radcliffe sustained most of the damage in Monday evening's (Sept 8) rampage through the streets.

The marksman fired ball-bearings from either an air rifle, a pistol or a catapult to cause £5,500 worth of damage in Radcliffe and neighbouring Prestwich and Whitefield as well as in Bolton.

No-one saw the armed man, probably firing from a moving car, as he indiscriminately attacked at least ten buildings, piercing windows in each case.

More properties may have been targeted, but without damage.

The first attack occurred at 8.20pm when shots were fired at the windows of a house in Fairfax Road, Prestwich. Next a house in Portugal Street, Sedgley Park, was blasted and damaged.

The majority of calls to the police then came from Radcliffe town centre.

The Charcoal Tandoori takeaway in Blackburn Street, the Bay Horse pub, a house and business premises in Stand Lane, and the Beer Engine pub and a shop in Bolton Road took the full brunt of the barrage.

A house in Ringley Drive and Ganton Avenue, Whitefield, were also randomly targeted before the shooter moved into the Bolton area where similar incidents occurred up to 10pm.

Now police are appealing for members of the public to come forward with information leading to the arrest of the offender or offenders.

Detective Sergeant Mick Baker of Bury Police said he was amazed that no-one was injured during the attacks, considering that two pubs and a takeaway restaurant were full of customers at the time.

"We are not sure how the ball-bearings were fired - either from an air rifle, pistol or catapult. However, someone could have been seriously hurt when the missiles were directed at the buildings."

Miss Sheena Ferries, landlady of the Bay Horse Hotel in Stand Lane, told how customers were quietly enjoying a drink when a pellet smashed through the front widow. She put the cost of repair at £500.

"No-one saw a thing. We just heard the window crack and only on close scrutiny did I realise a pellet had been fired at the pub. Fortunately, no customers were hit."

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