Concern has been raised over the safety of a toy gun which fires paintballs at high speeds after a child was brought to hospital when hit by a pellet.
The six-year-old boy from Greystones, Co Wicklow, was sitting in his mother's car yesterday when a pellet flew through an open passenger door window and struck him on the side of his face. He suffered swelling and bruising around an eye and was treated for his injuries at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
The incident has drawn criticism over the availability of paintball guns, understood to have gone on sale in Ireland only a few weeks ago.
The father of the injured child, who did not wish to be named, said both he and hospital staff were "shocked at the fact that these weapons are available. The pellets travel at a frightening velocity."
Two different designs of paintball gun were available for sale at a toy shop in Dublin yesterday. A pair of goggles accompanied the toy with the instruction that they should be always used when playing with it. Recommended for children aged eight years and upwards, the gun comes with a warning against aiming at the eye or face.
In a disclaimer, the manufacturers also say the guns should be used under the direct supervision of an adult and that the buyer/user assumes full responsibility for their proper, safe and legal use.
"My young fella was hit just beside his eye. If it had gone into his eye there's no doubt it would have caused permanent damage," the boy's father said.
"My wife was driving at only about 5 m.p.h.," he added. "If she had been doing 30 m.p.h., as she was entitled to, she could have lost control of the car and someone may have been killed.
"Aside from the immediate impact, the pellets spatter residue all over the place. I don't know how they haven't been banned yet," he said.
Gardaí are understood to have confiscated three pellet guns from a number of youths who were firing them at passers-by. Gardaí declined to comment other than saying they were investigating an incident in the area.
