TWO teenagers have been suspended from St John's School, Marlborough, after an incident in which another student was struck by a pellet from a ball bearing gun.

Police have confiscated the weapon, which was taken into the school about two weeks ago by a pupil who has not been named.

Headteacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood said: "There was an incident in which one boy brought a BB gun into school allegedly to try to sell it to a mate.

"It was fired on the playing field and hit another boy."

He added that no injury had been caused.

Investigations by staff revealed that a second teenager had also fired the gun within the school grounds.

The youth who fired the pellet which hit another student was given a ten-day suspension by the headteacher.

The other teenager who used the gun was given an eight-day suspension.

Dr Hazlewood said the police were notified and they had interviewed the boys in question and confiscated the gun.

Both of them were interviewed by police in the presence of their parents and. Dr Hazlewood said they were "given a dressing down" by the officers.

The Government is concerned at the ease with which BB guns, comparatively low-powered air weapons, can be obtained in toy shops and on market stalls and is proposing to introduce import controls.

Police forces across the country are concerned that the guns, which are intended to be toys but which have frequently been used to inflict injuries on animals, are replicas of real guns.

Previously, police have warned that people carrying BB or other replica guns in public places put themselves at risk, as armed police could well respond to reports of guns being carried.

The RSPCA is campaigning for tighter controls on the sale of air weapons and BB guns because of a growing number of injuries to pets and wildlife caused by them.