A 52-year-old mother of two was shot in the leg during a mystery car park air rifle attack in broad daylight.

The after school club manager, who has asked not to be named, was returning to her vehicle on Tuesday in Abbotsbury Gardens car park, Pinner, when she felt a jolt of pain in her leg and looked down shocked to see blood.

A hospital X-ray confirmed that it was a pellet typically fired from an air rifle, prompting a police investigation. The news comes on same day that a Harrow pub where a BB gun shooting took place will be allowed to remain open.

The victim, who lives in Cannonbury Avenue, Pinner, said: “You don’t expect to get shot when you are just popping some things into your car. It has had a real impact on my children. My youngest boy is 10 and he just could not stop crying. They’re really worried because it was such a shock.

“I have had to promise them I wouldn’t go back to the car park, and that I would stay safe and not drive near there.”

Police are now examining the pellet after the woman had it removed following an operation.

She added: “A part of me hopes it was just some school children messing around. If not, it could be much more serious. I just hope that if anyone knows anything that they could inform the police.”

A man has been arrested but has since been eliminated from police investigations.

The officer managing the case DC Stephen Rothwell said: “The implications of this attack are serious and could have been even worse. We urgently want to trace the person responsible to make sure they are not a danger to any other person and are brought to account for their actions.  We would ask the public to contact us with any information they may have on this matter. Any intelligence we receive will be kept confidential."

Anyone with information is asked to call Hillingdon CID on 101 quoting reference CRIS 0914836/14. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.