A TEENAGER told today how she was left drenched in blood after being blasted in the head by gun thugs.

Laura Page, 16, was sitting on swings with friend Tina Maher, 17, when she felt a pain on the right side of her head.

She says had been shot by a gang of youths who had earlier been trying to "chat up" the girls in Corporation Park, Blackburn.

Laura, of Duke's Brow, Revidge, Blackburn, was taken to hospital for treatment and detectives have now launched a hunt for the three thugs.

She said: "We were minding our own business but we had seen these three lads shooting at trees and birds with an air pistol. They came up to us and were trying to chat us up but we didn't want to know.

"One of them asked Tina to go for a walk and when I told her to say no he stabbed her with what looked like a compass.

"It was about ten minutes later and the lads were about a tennis court distance away.

"I was still on the swings when I heard a bang and felt a pain in my head. "Suddenly my shirt was just drenched in blood and I knew I'd been shot. I was so angry that I got up and shouted at them." Doctors told Laura she was lucky the pellet did not penetrate her skull.

She has been left with a small hole near her right temple and bruising.

Laura, a former pupil of Beardwood High School, added: "They could have easily taken out my eye but I'm more angry that it could have been a little kid they shot.

"They're just stupid idiots and I hope they're caught soon."

The men are Asian and 16-18-years old. One had dark hair with distinctive ginger streaks and round glasses.

Anyone who has information about the shooting on Tuesday at 2.15pm should contact Blackburn CID on 01254 51212.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.