A teenager is fighting for his life after being wounded in the head with an airgun pellet.

Thirteen-year-old Richard Bryant, of Tudor Green, Jaywick, was playing with four friends in a field in the village when the incident happened.

He was taken unconscious to Colchester General Hospital at 7.40pm on Monday night.

He was transferred to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge yesterday and his condition was described as "critical". He is breathing with the aid of a ventilator.

A scan carried out by staff at the Colchester hospital showed that the boy had an airgun pellet in his head with an entry wound just above his right ear.

Richard had been playing with his friends at a water authority treatment works near Park Square West yesterday afternoon.

He was wearing camouflage clothing at the time of what is believed to be a tragic accident.

An Essex Police spokesman said yesterday that officers had been called in at around 8.45pm on Monday night by hospital staff following the discovery made by the scan.

The investigation is being headed by Det Chief Insp Kevin Macey. He said : "We are anxious to establish exactly what happened.

"The primary witnesses are the four boys with the victim but other people may have been in the vicinity."

He told a news conference yesterday that Richard, a pupil at Colbayns High school in Clacton, had been playing a war game with four other boys when he received the injury.

Police have recovered two air rifles and a pistol which is believed to fire blanks. The press conference was told Richard's parents had not known their son was playing games involving guns.

DCI Macey said he was restricted for legal reasons in what he could reveal about the incident but said: "I can confirm that this was not an incident involving a stranger, it was a get-together of young friends which had tragic consequences."

All four friends were said to be distressed. A 14-year-old has been arrested in connection with the incident, and released on bail to Clacton police station while the investigation continues.

Det Chief Insp Macey has appealed for anyone with information to contact Clacton police on 01255 221312.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.