POLICE are searching for a gunman after he was heard firing an air rifle near houses on the Caia Park estate last week.
On Tuesday, August 12, officers were called to the estate just after 6.30pm following reports a man was firing the rifle near the Queensway Sports Centre and a residential area.
A woman, who was running around the sports track at the time, heard a pellet hit a metal fence and she went over to speak to the man, who was seen clutching the rifle. He apologised and then disappeared.
Police officers searched the area for the shooter, but were unable to find him.
Sgt Darren Jacks, community beat officer for Caia Park, said anyone caught firing air weapons would face severe punishment.
He said: 'Police regard this as a very serious offence. This area of Queensway is popular for sporting activity and with children who congregate there.
'We take a very dim view of this type of behaviour and anyone found committing this type of offence will be dealt with severely.'
He added: 'We feel that some members of the public perceive an air rifle to be a non-lethal weapon. This is not the case. It has the capacity to cause serious injury and there have been incidents where people have died.'
Police are appealing for anyone with information about this incident to contact them on (01978) 294524 or 0800 555111.
The incident comes just days after Sgt Jacks hailed the success of the police's efforts to re-build the Caia Park estate.
Police have been issued with handheld computers to input information and access police databases, cutting back on paperwork, and five community beat officers have been posted to the estate to patrol the area.
Sgt Jacks said: 'We've talked to members of the public and what they want is a visible police presence. They want to see the bobby on the beat and we want to be in touch with them.'
David Rimmer, from the Afon Tenants' Association and a Caia Park resident, said: 'It got the point that they used to call them UFOs - unidentified officers - and the police car was known as a novelty car. But at least, since the incident, we're seeing the police around.'
