Father arrested after shooting his three-year-old son in the head with an airgun

The boy was taken to hospital for treatment to an injury caused by the airgun pellet.

The two-year-old boy is believed to have been hit while he was playing in the family's garden as he ran out in front of his father, who was shooting targets.

Neighbours said his 31-year-old father had spent hours beforehand firing shots from the gun in the area around their home in Hayes, West London.

The youngster, who was shot on Saturday afternoon, was released from hospital later the same day.

Playing: A two-year-old boy was shot by his father as he fired an airgun at a target range in his garden in Hayes. The toddler ran across his firing line (file photo)

Police arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm after the incident at the house in Hayes, Middlesex. He was released on bail until October.

The shooting comes just days after 18-month-old Rashid Rullah died when he was accidentally shot in the head with an air rifle by his sister in Birmingham.

He had been fighting for his life after the incident at his home in Washwood Heath, Birmingham, on August 24.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said : 'I could hear airgun shots going off for hours on Saturday morning.

'The first I knew the little boy had been shot was when loads of police turned up.

'It is not the first time the police have been at that house. The family have been living here for two and a half years and they are trouble.

'They have three or four young kids, but I do not associate with them and I don't even know their name.

'Although I heard all the shots coming from around their house, apparently the story the police were told was that the boy was shot out on the green which is the other side of my house.

'I know the mum does not work because she has loads of young kids. The dad goes in and out of the house a lot but I don't know if he has a job.'

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: 'Police were called at 12.45pm on Saturday to an address in Hayes, Middlesex, to reports that a three-year-old boy had been injured by a pellet gun.

'London Ambulance Service attended and took the child to a west London hospital where he received care and was released later that day.

'As is routine in cases where an injury has occurred to a child and the circumstances need to be properly investigated, a 31-year-old man was arrested at the scene and was bailed to return to police on October 4.'

Gun victim: Rashid Ullah, 18 months, died this week after his sister picked up an airgun while his father turned his back and shot him in the head

John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, said he had been lobbying the Government for tighter gun controls for more than 10 years.

No licence is needed for anyone over 18 to own an air rifle.

Mr McDonnell said: 'I do not agree with guns at all. Any opportunity I have had to raise the issue of banning them from being sold, I have taken it up.

'It is so easy for people to just walk into a shop and buy one and any risk is greater than the enjoyment.

'There have been too many fatal incidents and I would urge parents to see that guns are weapons.'

Chief Inspector Maurice Hartnett, of Hillingdon police, said: 'All guns are dangerous and they can kill.'