Two children shot with 'BB' gun

North Yorkshire Police have warned "'BB" guns are not harmless toys

Two 11-year-old children have been shot with a "BB" style gun while walking with friends in York.

A girl had a pellet mark on her back which was bleeding and a boy was left with a red and bruised leg.

The pair were walking in Boroughbridge Road when they were shot at on Tuesday afternoon.

The attack has prompted a plea from police for parents not to purchase "BB" guns for children, which they warned were not "harmless toys".

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "The teenagers carrying the weapons might think that their behaviour is harmless fun.

"But apart from hurting people by taking pot-shots, the reality is that these firearms look so convincing that the police might react as though they were the genuine article.

"Imitation or replica firearms can look like a viable weapon and our officers have to deal with them as a real threat."