A PARKED car was repeatedly shot at with BB gun pellets in Basildon today.

Emergency response officers swarmed to the scene of the shooting in Pamplins at about 2.30pm after a member of the public raised the alarm.

They told police that a gun had been fired at a car.

When police arrived they found a grey Peugeot had been damaged with BB gun pellets.

Nobody was in the car and it is not thought that anybody was injured in the incident. 

The force helicopter was scrambled to search for the people with the weapon but so far there has been no trace.

Officers are continuing to make door-to-door enquiries.

According to the law, you must be 18 years old or over and be a member of a soft-air club to buy and possess a realistic BB gun.

If you are not a member of a soft-air club, but still over 18 years old, you can only purchase a non-realistic BB gun, which will be manufactured in an obscure colour.

By law, you can only possess a powerful air weapon if you have a firearms certificate.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101.