THE mother of a teenager nearly blinded by an air-gun pellet has called for the weapons to be banned.

Ashley Boorman, 15, was out walking in fields at the back of his Thanington home when he was hit on the left side of his head.

Surgeons who removed the pellet said had it gone in further he would have lost his eye and if it had entered further up his head it could have killed him.

Now Ashley’s mother, Donna, has called for air-guns to be outlawed.

She said: "I had never given them any thought until now but whoever shot Ashley could have killed him.

"Lots of children play in that field and people walk their dogs. There is a public footpath going through there and people should not be allowed to use air-guns in such a place.

"I just hope whoever did it is caught. We have no idea if it was a child or an adult but it seems it was quite a powerful gun because the bushes where Ashley thinks the shot came from are quite some distance away."

Ashley was out with friends when it happened.

He said: "I heard a loud bang and something hit me in the face. Then there was loads of blood. I didn’t know what had happened but one of my friends said you’ve been shot so I went straight home."

Mrs Boorman rang the police and Ashley was taken by ambulance to Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital. X-rays showed the pellet had lodged behind his left eye socket.

He was then taken to the Kent and Canterbury hospital, where there is a specialist facial unit.

The pellet was left in place for two days but surgeons decided it would be better to take it out and Ashley, who goes to Canterbury High School, returned to Kent and Canterbury Hospital where he had an operation to remove it. His face is now badly bruised.

Last summer, Ashley’s friend was shot in the leg by an air-gun and a man out walking his dog was shot in the cheek in the same field.

Police with dogs searched the area but were unable to trace the culprit.

Anyone who can help with the investigation should contact PC Sheena Epps on 01227 762055.