Father-of-two Nick Staunton from Stanton St Bernard has spoken of his concern after he was struck by a rifle bullet.

Mr Staunton, his wife Jennifer and their two sons aged six and two were enjoying Saturday’s spring-like weather and sitting in front their house at Stanton Farm when the stray bullet hit him.

Mr Staunton, who is a surveyor and farmer, had the six-year-old on his lap, and when he felt a sharp sting on his shoulder he thought one of his sons had playfully hit him with one of their toys.

He said he had heard a whistling sound before feeling the impact, which he likened to a wasp or bee sting, and when he looked down on the ground he saw to his horror a .22 bullet.

Luckily, said Mr Staunton, he was wearing several layers of clothing.

But, he said: “If it had hit either of the children, especially if they had been playing at the bottom of our long garden, they could have been badly injured or even killed.”

Both Mr Staunton and police believe the bullet was fired from as far as a mile away and Sgt Vince Logue, who is ballistics trained, told the Gazette that .22 bullets had been known to kill a person 700 metres from where they were fired and that this type of rifle round could travel a mile.

Mr Staunton said: “I have had a word with all the local farmers. I know them well and it was not one of them.”

He said he was facing west at the time and the bullet must have come from the All Cannings direction.

“Our concern is that we do have two young children and they could have been playing much closer to where the gun was fired,” he said.

Mr Staunton said he and his wife did not hear the shot so the bullet must have come a considerable distance.

Sgt Logue said police wanted to speak to anyone who was using a .22 rifle in the area at about 4pm on Saturday. He said: “Although unfortunate to have been struck in the first place, this man and his family had a lucky escape. Had the bullet struck anyone in the eye the consequences could have been fatal. “ Sgt Logue added that clearly the person who shot it did not consider the safety of others when they shot into the air, in breach of good shooting practice.