A POLICE investigation is under way after claims that a teacher was shot in the back by a pupil with an air rifle at a school.

The incident is alleged to have happened at The Wensleydale School, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on Friday, as students were leaving at the end of the day.

It is believed the female teacher involved was not badly hurt and that the student who fired the air rifle has been identified.

A witness to the incident, who asked not to be named, contacted The Northern Echo after becoming concerned that the incident was being “brushed under the carpet”

by the school.

He said: “The teacher was walking out of the school when the lad shot her with an air rifle. It hit her in the back but it nearly hit a six-year-old girl standing next to her.

“He did it on purpose – I think he’s just a bit of an idiot.

“The police are involved, but nothing seems to be happening and it feels like everything is being brushed under the carpet by the school. I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before at the school.”

The Wensleydale School caters for about 500 children aged between 11 and 18, and draws most of its pupils from the deeply rural areas of Richmondshire.

No one at the school was available to comment yesterday, but a North Yorkshire County Council spokeswoman, speaking on behalf of the school, said: “There was an incident at The Wensleydale School last Friday.

“Because the police are involved and there is also an on going internal disciplinary process with the student, there is nothing more that we can say at this stage.”

North Yorkshire Police confirmed that the incident occurred and that a complaint had been made, but said no further comment could be made while officers carry out inquiries.