AN AIRGUN warning has gone out in Westgate after a man was shot in in the head. The victim, in his 40s and from Whitstable, was crossing the footbridge near the station with his partner, when the pellet hit him.

He was taken to hospital with an injury to his temple but later discharged. A police spokeswoman said: "This man was lucky. It was just chance he was not hit in the eye." Later a woman in the same area reported seeing and hearing pellets being fired near the bridge.

The police said: "We want to remind young people and their parents that misuse of any type of weapon, even air guns or replicas, is a serious offence as well as extremely dangerous. Anyone caught selling or hiring a weapon to someone under 17 could receive a hefty fine and up to six months in prison. What people may not realise is that the maximum sentence for possessing any weapon with intent to cause serious damage is life imprisonment."