To call the police on our neighbour with an air rifle?

[ScaredandConcerned]

We’ve got a neighbour three doors down who always acts in an anti social manner, he sits in his car in the middle of the road, headlights on full beam and revving his engine for no reason whatsoever.

We’ve been sat in the garden all morning and suddenly hear an air rifle shot, about a second later the pellet comes through the trees and lodges itself in the fence. We were a little bit shocked, but that happened three more times before we shouted across to tell them to stop, because they were coming close to hitting us.

Would it be unreasonable to call the police? Obviously our lives aren’t at risk because it’s just an air rifle, but it’s pretty concerning!

Definitely call the police, we had similar years ago, the idiots pellets were peppering our back gate and fence a few even made it through the gaps and pinged off the washing line pole. My H asked him twice to stop and he wouldn't so H called the police, after the police had spoken to the idiot he never did it again. My sisters kids were constantly using the back gate and we were terrified that they could get injured

He sounds unhinged op, was he aiming at you? Regardless, I would definitely call the police.

I can’t believe you’re asking!! Yes call the police - and go inside - he sounds insane

Yes I'd definitely call the police...I agree with a pp..he's sounds unhinged.

Absolutely call the police. Air rifles can cause serous injuries and he's obviously not the sort of person to think about the consequences of his actions if he's been firing directly towards your garden. I'd be concerned he'd do it again.

Go inside, and take any pets with you and definitely call the police.

He seems to have stopped now, since we shouted across to him. We think he’s stood in their upstairs window trying to shoot pigeons and magpies. Not sure it’s a 999 matter now he’s stopped?

• Use:
• Air rifles must be used responsibly and safely, with consideration for safety of others and property.
• Shooting is prohibited where it could endanger life or cause damage to property, unless in a designated safe area or with appropriate supervision and safety measures.

The law regarding air rifle us in the UK.

He’s done it again!! He’s shattered the greenhouse window now, so I think we’re going to have to call. What possesses people to do this ffs

You're unreasonable to be asking this question. Someone is shooting at you in your backyard, of course you call 999 ffs

We called 101, they’ve said it’s not an emergency because it’s not currently ongoing. They’ll send an officer around when one is available, but due to a lot of events happening this weekend in our local area that might not be till this evening.

Brilliant 🙃

How can it not be ongoing. He's currently shooting into your garden, firstly hitting the fence and now your greenhouse.

Because he's taking breaks - they said he would have to be shooting at this moment in time. (or the time we called)

We've come inside and if the police haven't turned up by 2, we'll probably go out for the afternoon

Call the police. My cat was shot by an air pellet and was very lucky not to be killed. Had it hit just a little further up he may not have survived.

I would have said its a 999 call, although its 'only' an air gun, its being used irresponsibly and a pellet could take an eye out.

It's not illegal at all to shoot one in your back garden but pellets absolutely should not be leaving his garden into anyone elses.

Same happened to a friend’s cat. The pellet was in her head, thankfully had not penetrated through the skull.

I would have told the police it was happening at the time, as he’s continuing to do it.

Air rifles can sometimes need the owner to hold a fire arms certificate if they're over a certain power limit, the police might want to take his away and check it.

FFS! How can you be so chill about this? Why didn't you call 999?! 101 by definition will not respond as urgently!

This dude sounds like a serious incident waiting to happen, don't let that incident be you ending up in hospital.

Apart from anything else he is now causing property damage which he should be paying for.

101 will divert to/recommend 999 if it's urgent. There's a lot of events on in our town (including protests at a hotel 🤬), so they've said there just isn't the resources. He does seem to have stopped now, and if he starts again we'll obviously escalate it, but the police just don't seem to have the resources needed today

OMG you must call and also ask your neighbours to call too so it’s lodged by multiple people - as for the greenhouse - take photographs and if you can find it, photograph the pellet that caused the smash if it’s still in the vicinity - as for the wild life, I’d be calling the RSPCA too - not that they’d do much

It's illegal to shoot pigeons if that's what he's trying to do. Hope you all keep safe.

A man did this one night where I used to live and shot at lots of us and our homes, he was taken away and charged and jailed. Scared the life out of us.

A cat we had a few years ago lost her back leg to an air rifle. Someone’s idiot teenager was shooting at them in the wood behind our previous house. It totally shattered her leg bone so couldn’t be fixed. Plus another lady I knew said a school friend of theirs lost a child to an air rifle. The pellet entered the eye socket. Horrible story as it was actually the idiot grandfather encouraging the older kids to shoot cans and the little one ran in front. These things are very dangerous and need better licensing. The RSPCA and the police said the same when we spoke to both after the incident with our cat.