Park ranger Tom Murawicki 77161-90GUN touting teenagers have been caught on camera shooting guns in a children's playground.

The shocking pictures - shown in today's Evening Advertiser - were taken in Lydiard Park by a horrified father who was walking past the playground with his children when he spotted the pair.

They were sitting in a Wendy house on a climbing frame shooting into the bushes with what the photographer believes was a self-loading nine millimetre pistol.

The man, who does not want to be named, said: "It was absolutely terrifying.

"I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"They could have blinded someone with that gun.

"And if the armed police had seen them they could have been shot on the spot. How on earth would kids of that age get hold of a gun?

"And what were they doing with it in a children's play area when they should have been at school?"

He was not the only person to have spotted the pair but he said they seemed oblivious to passers-by.

"At one point they looked straight at me and it was only when they saw me taking photographs that they ran away.

"To me it looked as though they were having a lovely time.

"They had mischievous expressions on their faces and were fighting over whose turn it was to shoot. There was no way I was going to approach them.

"The playground was totally empty but it is usually full of children.

"There is no way I would have let my dog in there, let alone my children."

Lydiard Park ranger Tom Murawicki said that there been a number of incidents of teenagers shooting with air rifles and BB guns in the park.

But that unlike the two photographed, they usually target wildlife.

He said: "They usually pick on wildlife and birds particularly ducks.

"We usually get to hear about it when an animal has been killed or injured. It usually tends to be young lads that are responsible.

"I think they should be locked up.

"I've seen the damage that air rifles can do to people especially if someone gets shot in the eye.

"The other worry is that people could injure themselves.

It's easy for them to shoot themselves in the foot.

"That damage could be with you for the rest of your life.

"And the police are within their rights to shoot someone dead if they see them with a gun."

An 18-year-old was jailed in January 2004 for shooting dead a swan in the Lawns lake with an airgun.

Diana Milne