A series of apparently motiveless gun attacks have left villagers fearing for their safety.

In the latest shooting, on Wednesday, a 27-year-old man discovered what appeared to be a bullet hole in the window of his car, which he parked outside his mother’s house in London Road, Ryarsh.

Farm worker Nicholas Hunter, of Church Road, Chart Sutton, had been visiting his mother on his birthday when he found the shattered window.

After inspecting the surrounding area, Mr Hunter found two empty brass shells on the pavement opposite his car, which he believes could have been fired from a .22 rifle.

Mr Hunter said: “When I spoke to the police at first they said the window could have been broken by a catapult or a stone; but it’s definitely a gun.

“You could tell by the hole in the window – it had gone clean through and hit the other side.

“Then I found the shells and they sent someone down.”

While the rural location seems an unlikely hot-spot for gun crime, the attack follows other similar incidents.

One neighbour who asked not to be named, said both her and her husband’s car had been damaged in recent months.

“I’ve had windows smashed twice and my husband’s had a rear window smashed.

Alan Dobson said he had seen men dressed in “combats” carrying firearms in the fields behind his house.

The men had disappeared after he went outside to observe them with a pair of binoculars.

He said: “I quite often hear shooting behind the house.

“About a month ago I saw a couple of guys in full combats. They had .22s with telescopic sights.

The ex-military man said he believed the hole in Mr Hunter’s window had been caused by a firearm such as .22 rifle.

Police say an investigation is under way.