A SCHOOLBOY needed hospital surgery after being shot by an airgun sniper as he was riding his bike.

The pellet ripped through Neil Haworth's jeans and lodged in his upper thigh.

Neil, 15, of St Hubert's Road, Great Harwood, was detained overnight in hospital, where he was operated on to have the pellet removed.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the attack, in Railway Terrace, Great Harwood, to contact them on 884800.

Neil, a pupil at Norden High School, Rishton, was riding his bike on a grassed area on Wednesday, April 3, at 8.30pm. Police believe the airgun was a .22 calibre.

Inspector John Pennington, of Great Harwood police, said: "We are always concerned about the careless use of air weapons.

"This is a powerful weapon capable of causing serious injury or even death if someone is hit in the wrong place," he added.

Neil's mum, Mrs Christine Haworth, said : "He came in from playing on the park and said he'd been shot.

"It had gone right through his jeans and went into the back of his leg about three inches. We took him straight to the hospital.

"Fortunately, it's not far from where we live. His friend pushed his bike and he managed to hobble home," she added.

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