AS it stands children as young as 14 can own and use a low-powered air gun and use it unsupervised, despite the horrific effects opening fire with such a weapon can have on animals.

Starving swans unable to feed because their beaks have been smashed, squirrels with broken spines after being riddled with air pellets, hedgehogs left to bleed to death these are just some of the cases dealt with by volunteers and vets at St Tiggywinkles Animal Hospital in Haddenham.

The RSPCA is putting its weight behind a national campaign to amend the Firearms Bill, due for its second reading in the House of Commons later this month, which, if successful, will raise the age for unsupervised ownership of air guns from 14 years to 18 years old.

And firearms are exactly what these air guns are, according to St Tiggywinkles founder Les Stocker.

"These air guns sound harmless but are so sophisticated and powerful these days that they should be treated just like firearms," he said.

"They can be just as lethal. These kids go out shooting and think it's just a game. It's awful to shoot a hedgehog many times and leave it there in agony.

"Parents need to wake up and quit buying these guns for their children and letting them go out with no supervision. They must know they'll be out there just popping away. They need to take responsibility."

The hospital deals with up to 400 cases a year and RSPCA figures show almost 800 air gun investigations into air-gun attacks last year alone but experts say this is just the tip of the experts.

Mr Stocker said: "These are wild animals lucky enough to be found by passers-by. But we'll never know how many more are out there. Many will crawl and hide away and probably end up dying of starvation hidden in hedges or undergrowth crippled from their wounds."

It seems no animals are safe from these trigger-happy youngsters, from big deer to the garden sparrow.

And it's not just wild animals. Pets like dogs and cats are also targeted. In November a tortoiseshell cat called Molly became the most recent victim in a sickening attack near her home in Aylesbury.

An RSPCA spokesman said: "We need a tightening up in the law. We're seeing a lot of very nasty cases lately and it's on the increase. If youngsters are involved we try to avoid hitting them with the hard arm of the law but instead try to educate them about the implications. They see it as fun and don't always realise the harm."

Mr Stocker agrees that education is paramount.

He said: "We do have visits from schools here and maybe teaching kids wildlife first-aid would not be a bad idea. Upping the age is a great idea.

"It wouldn't solve the problem but would be moving in the right direction.

"Anything would be better than how it stands where things are going from bad to worse.

"It won't be a perfect world but we need to make a start," he said.