Angry mum Lynn Colley called for a ban on the weapons after her daughter Paige, 14, was left temporarily blind by a ball bearing fired at her face.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of assault in connection with the shooting.

Insp Richard Sullivan, of Pontefract and Knottingley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "These guns are quite dangerous, if they are fired and you are hit in the eye, at close range, then you can lose your sight.

"Personally I certainly think there should be stricter controls on selling them, especially to youngsters.

"Parents need to be educated about the dangers of BB guns and the fact their children could be reported for having one in the street."

Insp Sullivan said police had been called by residents who saw children carrying BB guns and feared they were live firearms.

He added: "I certainly want to get a message across that people need to be very careful taking these guns outside.

"When people are running around with them they do look very real

"Anybody who sees that could call the police and spark a large scale firearms operation, a lot of police time and effort could then be put in for a plastic gun."

Paul Smart, treasurer of the Pontefract Air Rifle Club – which formed as part of a local police initiative to instruct youngsters in the care and use of air guns – said members did not use BB guns.

He said: "BB guns can be dangerous in the wrong hands but they are not what we use at the club. Unfortunately the people that usually use them are the ones running about the streets rather than practising in a controlled environment as we do. It can be quite frustrating that a minority causes the majority a bad name."