OLYMPIC clay pigeon shooting silver medallist Ian Peel is hoping his appearance at Rufforth, near York, will trigger major interest in the sport.

Over 100 people turned up at the North of England Clay Target Centre to try their hand at the sport.

The event, which was specially organised for newcomers, saw Peel, who shoots at the East Yorkshire Gun Club, near Beverley, provide expert supervision.

Since Great Britain's Olympic successes last year in Sydney, clay pigeon shooting has become one of the country's fastest growing sports.

The event was organised by the Countryside Alliance's Campaign for Shooting and leadshot.com. It was the first in a series of similar days around the country.

David Bredin, director of Countryside Alliance's Campaign for Shooting', said: "Shooting is a sport which is currently enjoyed by over a million people in the UK. We're immensely proud of Ian Peel's Olympic achievement last year but we need to welcome more newcomers if we are to continue our success. The day at Rufforth was a great success and, who knows, we may have found a potential Olympic champion."

Updated: 11:44 Tuesday, September 04, 2001