A TEENAGER who shot an 11-year-old in the chest with an air rifle while hunting rabbits was ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid community work by a court yesterday.

Prosecutor Caroline Midgley told Harrogate magistrates how Christopher Marshall, 18, had been in the area of Ripon racecourse, on land off Boroughbridge Road, on the evening of Saturday, June 9, when youths were out riding off-road trials motorcycles.

One of them, who had an 11-year-old boy as pillion passenger, heard the sound of a gun being fired and his passenger began to scream in pain.

"He was screaming and shouting that he had been shot and when the rider pulled up it was found that the boy had a hole in his jacket and shirt with a large red mark, which was bleeding, on his left shoulder," said Mrs Midgley.

Police were alerted and Marshall, of Bridge View Road, Ripon, was interviewed. He said he had been out looking for rabbits but without success. He had his air rifle over his shoulder without realising it had been loaded and it had gone off. He had not fired deliberately.

When Marshall pleaded guilty to having a loaded air weapon in a public place and assault he said he had since sold the gun to a friend.

He was told to do 80 hours of community punishment work and pay £55 costs and £75 compensation to the victim of the incident, who cannot be named for legal reasons.