A BOY, aged 14, was shot in the back with an air rifle as a gunman fired randomly from an upper-floor flat in York.

The boy was playing outside a block of flats in Hope Street, off Walmgate, at about 3.30pm yesterday, when he was shot and injured.

Neighbours called the police after hearing a weapon being repeatedly fired and seeing the barrel of a gun protruding from the upper-floor window.

York's cycling paramedic, Mark Inman, attended the scene and discovered that the boy had a pellet embedded in his back. He was taken to York District Hospital by ambulance, where it was removed.

Sergeant Mark Goulding, of York Police, said the boy was extremely lucky not to have been more seriously injured.

He said: "The initial report was of the sound of an air rifle going off in the area of Hope Street. Another witness had seen the weapon hanging out of the window. They were just firing it off aimlessly.

"Unfortunately the 14-year-old boy was playing just near the location, just opposite his house, and a pellet got embedded in his back.

"He didn't even realise he had been shot, he had just gone home and his mum had found the pellet.

"It's a serious incident, the pellet could have gone in this lad's eye.

"This was extremely dangerous without a doubt."

If anyone witnessed the incident or has any information they should phone York Police on 01904 631321.

A flat in Hope Street was searched by police and two air rifles were recovered, along with a substance thought to be cannabis.

A woman in her late 30s and two women and two men in their early 20s were arrested on suspicion of assault.

Two were released on police bail pending further inquiries, one was placed on the drug referral scheme and two were released without charge.

Updated: 15:37 Tuesday, May 07, 2002