A FATHER has condemned a teenager who shot his young daughter in the head with a pellet gun, saying: "He could have blinded her."

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, aimed the plastic weapon at 12-year-old Samantha Gibbons from close range, hitting her just above the eye with a plastic pellet.

Today, Samantha's dad James slammed the attack and said: "I was so angry when I saw what had happened, that shot could have blinded her."

At Hyndburn Youth Court yesterday the 15-year-old boy who fired the shot admitted common assault and a further charge of criminal damage after breaking a window at Samantha's home. The incident happened last December in Windermere Avenue, near where she lives in Huncoat.

Samantha, who is now 13, was left with swelling after the attack but did not require hospital treatment.

Scott Ainge, prosecuting, said Samantha was walking home from a youth club in Within Grove with a group of friends when she was approached by the 15-year-old at around 5.30pm on December 13.

He said that Samantha saw the defendant running towards her and shouting before she was shot from less that 10 metres away.

Samantha told the court: "I didn't think at any point that I would be shot but then I felt the pellet hit me."

"It really, really hurt and I didn't know it was just a plastic gun. I thought there was going to be a lot of blood."

Alan Wilson, defending, said his client had not deliberately attacked the girl but had been aiming at targets. He said the youngster had shot "in the general direction" of the group of girls. Mr Wilson said: "He realises that what he did was stupid and has caused her a considerable amount of upset."

Magistrate Edward Barrow said: "This was an unprovoked assault and you did it deliberately. You have apologised to the court, which is something, but there is nothing we have heard about you that provides any mitigation. I think there is a risk of you offending again."

The case was adjourned for reports to be completed on the boy but Mr Barrow said he could expect a community punishment. The youngster will return to court for sentencing on June 20.