AN ARMED police response unit sealed off a house in Twickenham after neighbours were shot at by two brothers armed with a 22 calibre air rifle.

The boys, aged 13 and 15 who cannot be named for legal reasons, both pleaded guilty to criminal damage and common assault at Kingston Crown Court last week and appeared at Richmond Magistrates Court for sentencing on Tuesday.

The 13-year-old had also pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm.

Mr Taylor, prosecuting, told the court that on November 8th last year a Twickenham woman was in the front garden of her house when she felt what she thought was a stone, hit her in the back.

She realised that she had been shot at and, fearing for the safety of her baby son asleep in her car, she got into the vehicle and drove away from the house.

She was able to stop a passing police car and within minutes an armed response unit was on its way to the street.

Meanwhile another woman was left bleeding and shocked after being shot in the leg from an open window.

Although she was terrified, she was unable to call the police as English is not her first language.

She decided to hide in her house but as she did so she heard the sound of her glass kitchen door being shot through. When she looked up she saw a small hand close the upstairs window.

Police officers who arrived at the scene searched the house and found the two brothers in the living room and the rifle in the loft.

When officers questioned the boys the 13-year-old said: "We were only shooting into the garden, we haven't done anything wrong."

The 15-year-old blamed his brother and claimed he was not involved.

The court heard that the boys did not live in the house although they did know the occupants. The younger boy had broken in by climbing through an open window and opening the door from the inside.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing until June 21st, when the boys are due in the same court for a trial on an unconnected matter. Mr Williams, defending, argued that no sentence should be passed until the outcome of the future trial is known.

At present the 13-year- old, who has no previous convictions, qualifies for an automatic referral order but this would prove to be a waste of the court's time were he found guilty in June. Therefore, no reports were ordered. Bail conditions remained as before, to not to contact any prosecution witnesses and to notify the court of any change of address.