THE grieving parents of a schoolboy shot dead by his friend last night made a heart-felt plea for the law over the sale of air guns to be tightened.

The call came as his friend was convicted of manslaughter yesterday.

Daryl John Allison was 13 when a prank turned to tragedy as he shot his pal, Matthew Sheffield, 14, in the head.

Mark and Wendy Sheffield said: "This case clearly shows that the Government should introduce stricter controls over air weapons.

"People may think that air weapons are not dangerous but Matthew's death demonstrates that they are."

Yesterday's verdict came only hours after a woman was shot dead in Hull by a single air pellet fired in the street. A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Allison and his brother, Trevor, found their father's air gun in the attic of the family home in Croft Road, Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, on April 29 last year.

During the four-day trial, a jury at Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair were taking pot-shots at a Santa Claus decoration in their back garden.

Matthew and two friends called at the house and joined in playing with the gun.

But the high jinks turned more serious as Trevor - the oldest of the group at 15 - began bullying some of the boys and taking shots at some of them, said David Robson, prosecuting.

Matthew was urged to put his cap on the washing pole in the garden and, when he refused, it was stolen from him and set up as a target.

One shot was fired at the cap, missing it, before Matthew went to retrieve it.

As he returned, Allison shot him - the .22 pellet penetrating his skull just above the eyes and lodging in his brain.

His parents had the terrible task of allowing hospital staff to turn off a life support machine the following day after doctors said they could do nothing to save him.

A jury of seven women and five men were out for four hours deliberating before deciding on a majority verdict of 11-1 that Allison was guilty of manslaughter.

Allison, who will be 15 on Sunday, pleaded not guilty from the outset and an earlier trial jury at Teesside Crown Court failed to reach a verdict.

Judge Peter Fox, adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports before deciding his punishment.

Last night, the dead boy's parents expressed their relief at the guilty verdict.

They said: "It has always been our hope that through these trials we would find out the truth about what happened to Matthew and how he came to be shot while playing with friends.

"The events have been a tragedy for so many people. Matthew was a fun-loving and active teenager with many friends. For us the pain of losing Matthew from our family will never go away."

A Cleveland Police spokes-man said: "This was a tragic incident whereby a group of friends gained access to a legally-held air rifle and engaged in horseplay which resulted in a 14-year-old boy being shot dead.

"The incident highlights the horrors of what can happen when a gun is in the wrong hands.

"This terrible tragedy has blighted the lives of two families. A few moments of madness had appalling results which will live with the families for ever."

Matthew's death follows several high-profile incidents, including the case of 15-year-old schoolgirl Nicola Distin, who was left blind in one eye after being shot near her Gateshead home.

A ten-year-old boy on a seaside day trip was left writhing in agony and needed surgery to remove a pellet from his knee after he was shot by a gang of youths at Seaton Carew.

What the law says

Under existing legislation, it is illegal to sell an air gun to anyone under the age of 17 or give an air weapon to someone under the age of 14.

Children aged 14 and over can only use them under the supervision of someone aged at least 17.

North-East MPs and councillors have been among those calling for tighter restrictions in the wake of a series of air rifle attacks.

Gateshead councillor Peter Mole, who is leading a campaign to require air guns to be licensed and for the legal age to buy a gun to be increased to 18, said: "This case was an accident waiting to happen. How many people does it take to get maimed or killed before action is taken?

"This is a loophole in the law which needs tackling."

Coun Mole said he has had a "phenomenal response" after writing to every council chief executive in the country last week to gain support for tighter air gun laws