A 16-year-old Dutch boy was slightly injured in the leg yesterday after being hit by lead pellets while birdwatching in Pembroke.

The incident happened at 7am and the pellets came from the shotgun of a hunter.

Police confirmed the boy was taken to Mater Dei Hospital by the people who were accompanying him.

According to a police spokeswoman, the hospital reported the incident.

“The boy suffered slight injuries and a formal report was filed after the police spoke to him,” the spokeswoman said. However, she could not confirm whether any arrests had been made.

It is understood the hunter got abusive when confronted by the boy and his friends about the incident.

People voted to retain spring hunting in a referendum earlier this month. One of the issues raised by the No camp for rejecting spring hunting was safe access to the countryside. The season ends on April 30.

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