A CAT owner in Ferndown has urged others to be wary of people firing airguns after her own pet’s near miss.

Rebecca Loyd, of Humber Road, was home alone when she heard an “almighty bang” and watched on as her cat, Purdy, jumped down from the garden wall, which borders with an area of heathland.

Rebecca, who owns five cats, said the incident happened as it was getting dark in the evening and had left her shaken.

“All of a sudden I heard an almighty bang,” she added.

“I suddenly saw Purdy fly off in a panic and the dogs went crazy.

“I saw this guy running off carrying something. From the noise it made I assumed it must be a gun.”

The next day Rebecca and husband Andrew found pellets on the ground and called police.

Purdy was unhurt and the property had not sustained any damage.

Rebecca said she saw the man she believed to be responsible firing the weapon again the following week on the same heathland.

Since the incident, the couple have installed £800 of CCTV equipment and are angry that more cannot be done to stop people using the weapons.

“It was a nightmare and very intimidating,” said Rebecca. “Next time a child could get hit and there seems to be nothing that can be done about it.”

A spokesperson for Dorset Police confirmed they were called following the incident on July 31 and officers had visited the couple but that no action had been taken and no crime recorded.

She said a warning message had been added to the Dorset Alert website to inform people in the community about the incident.