Ten-year-old held by police after boy, 8, is shot

An eight-year-old boy has suffered shotgun wounds to his abdomen and arm, police have confirmed.

He remains critically ill in South Tyneside District Hospital after he was injured during a shooting at West Pastures travellers' site in Gateshead.

A 10-year-old boy was arrested following the incident on Friday and has since been released on bail.



Supt Jim Napier said: "We believe the answers to this incident lie within the travellers' site."

Supt Napier added: "I would like to reassure the public that we do not have someone wandering around with a gun shooting children."

He said it was too early to speculate whether the victim and the suspect were related. The young boy underwent surgery on Friday night and remains in a critical but stable condition.