LONDON - PRINCE Charles has been criticised by safety experts for fooling around with his son Harry while the youngster was holding a 12 bore shotgun during a royal pheasant shoot.
The Prince's horseplay came during the traditional Boxing Day shoot at the Queen's Sandringham estate led by Prince Philip, who last week claimed guns used by sports shooters were as safe as cricket bats or squash rackets.
The British Safety Council said Prince Charles's actions, caught on film by newspaper photographers, were "absolutely stupid".
"The fact that a father is clipping his son around the ear while he is holding a gun is beyond belief. There is no way that a child of Prince Harry's age can be properly trained to go out shooting, even though he is probably more sensible than most of the Royals," a safety council spokesman told the Sun.
Prince Harry (12) nearly tripped over brother William's pet labrador Widgeon as he dashed to escape his father's mock slap while carrying the gun, it was reported.
A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports said: "Guns are lethal weapons and should not be treated like toys. It is totally irresponsible ... It is madness to allow children to have access to firearms.
"Children and firearms should be kept a long distance apart and there should certainly be no playing around when guns are involved."