POLICE have praised two men who took the law into their hands after witnessing a gang of teenagers firing a gun on a housing estate.

But they are warning other public-spirited people to think carefully before becoming involved in similar situations.

The two men, who have not been named, took action when they saw teenage youths with an air rifle in Faverdale Road, Darlington, on Saturday night.

One of the men's sons had been shot in the back, and they feared other people would be targeted by the gang.

The men attempted to make a citizen's arrest and both received injuries in the struggle with the teenagers.

By this time, police had arrived and some of the members of the gang were arrested.

One of the men said yesterday: "I wanted to make a citizen's arrest because I was angry and frustrated that this sort of thing can go on near your home."

Detective Sergeant Alec Francis, of Darlington police, said on this occasion he believed the men did the right thing. "It is right to have concern as a citizen for what is going on in your area," he said.

"We would praise them for their public spirit and for getting involved before the situation got even further out of hand.

"The fact there was an air rifle used could have prompted an armed response, and these youths could have gone on to fire at other people, possibly causing serious injury."

Det Sgt Francis said people should think carefully before they take the law into their own hands.

"Before anyone intervenes in an incident like this, they should be aware of the consequences," he said.

"The best response is to call the police, who are trained to deal with these situations."

* Two teenagers, one aged 18 and the other 19, have been charged with a number of offences, including assault, threatening unlawful violence and possession of a firearm.

They are due to appear in court in the next few days.