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Mum was shot with air gun
A mum who was shot in the stomach with an air gun has warned that her attacker is still on the loose.
Jackie Chambers, of Hemel Hempstead, spent hours in hospital on Saturday (December 27) after being shot on her doorstep.
The 51 year old had been woken by the sound of banging on the window of the Highfield home she shares with her daughter, Michelle Goldthorp, 22.
As she stepped outside to investigate at around 2am she was shot in the stomach with what is believed to have been an air gun.
She said: "I thought it must be kids throwing stones so I went outside to tell them to go away.
"I heard rustling in the woodland opposite my house and when I looked ahead of me there was a young man crouching behind a car.
"He was holding something up to his face and then something was shot at me."
Ms Chambers, a property administrator at Dixons in Hemel Hempstead, said her attacker was about 40 yards away, preventing her from seeing what he was holding.
However hospital doctors told her the wound was consistent with that of an air gun.
She said: "It was frightening and it was quite painful, but thankfully he wasn't any closer."
Ms Chambers, of Westerdale, called her 27 year old daughter Clare Rudd, who rushed to her mum's aid and took her to hospital.
"Mum thinks it was quite a young man," said Mrs Rudd. "So we wonder if it was someone who was given an air gun for Christmas.
"He is still on the loose and needs to be caught as he is dangerous if he would shoot a defenceless 51 year old woman from such close range.
"She had a lucky escape but we're worried he might do it again."
Just 30 minutes before the attack, police had been called by a woman in her 60s to an address on Cattsdell, just streets away from Ms Chambers.
The woman reported 'stones' hitting the windows and a pane of glass had been smashed.
A Herts Police spokesman said: "The incident at Westerdale would have been extremely distressing for the victim, we are treating the assault seriously and the matter is currently under investigation.
"We would like to warn people that behaviour of this kind is not acceptable and will not be tolerated."
Police ask anyone with information about either incident to call the non-emergency number on 0845 33 00 222.
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
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