A grandad has relived the terrifying moment his air gun went off at his home and shot a close friend in the chest in a freak accident.
Mick Carling and the woman were preparing to have tea together at his house in Northumberland when the weapon, which was not loaded, discharged as he moved it off the table to make space for their meal.
The former painter and decorator did not realise what had happened until his friend told him in shock that she had been shot and he saw blood running down her front.
The woman, who was not seriously injured, called 999 to ask for an ambulance. But her call sparked a huge emergency response with armed police, paramedics and an air ambulance being sent to Mick's home, in Bedlington.
She was taken to hospital but is now recovering at home. And today Mick has told the Chronicle of his horror at accidentally hurting his friend and triggering an armed police incident at his home.
The 60-year-old: "I have never experienced anything like that in my life. I just wanted it out away so we could use the table for out tea and it went off."
Mick, who has a benign brain tumour and epilepsy, usually has a full time carer living with him. But his friend, who has asked not to be named, agreed to help look after him while his regular carer was on holiday.
The pair had been about to grill some kebabs for their tea when the gun drama unfolded, at around 4.30pm yesterday.
"The gun was sitting on the dining room table," Mick explained. "I picked it up to put it in the bag and she turned round and said; 'Mick I have been shot'."
At first Mick did not believe what he was hearing.
"I said; 'give over', but then I seen the blood trickling down her," he said. "She was quite calm but I was getting worked up and I couldn't work my phone. I started to panic when I saw the blood."
The woman made the call to emergency services then passed the phone to Mick who explained what happened. And because a weapon was involved there was a huge police response at Mick's Hudson Avenue home.
"There was three ambulances, three police cars and two helicopters," he said. "It was just silly, but I can understand because a gun was involved.
"Firearms officers took the gun outside and checked everything and searched the house. They were brilliant."
Mick keeps the air weapon, as he does target practise at a local shooting rang as a hobby. He is still uncertain why it discharged when it did, but thinks it could have got caught on the bag.
"I hadn't put it away, which was my own fault," he added.
Northumbria Police confirmed that officers have investigated the incident and are satisfied it was an accident.
A spokesman said: "Shortly before 5pm yesterday officers were called to an address on Hudson Avenue in Bedlington following a report of concern for a woman.
“Emergency services attended and found a woman had suffered a chest injury consistent with having been caused by an air weapon.
“An investigation was carried out into the incident, but officers are satisfied it was an accident between two parties who are known to each other, and that no criminal offences were committed.”
The North East Ambulance Service and the Great North Air Ambulance also attended the incident with the helicopter landing in a field in Stead Lane at around 4.30pm.
A North East Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: "We were called to an incident in the Stead Lane area of Bedlington shortly before 4.30pm this afternoon.
"We dispatched one ambulance crew and two crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team, and requested support from Great North Air Ambulance Service. One patient was taken to hospital by road for further treatment."
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