A TARGET Sports Club between Sutton and Mepal is holding an open day on Sunday September 5 to help raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

Isle Target Sports Club, a private shooting club on the A142 about 500 yards before the Sutton roundabout, will hold the event between 9am-4pm.

Air rifle competitions, shotgun demonstrations, prize draws and raffles will be some of the activities that are on offer at the club, which has around 200 members, and has been running in various forms since the 70s.

Secretary Alistair Hill said: “The best way to learn a new sport is to join a club.

“The open day is mainly for people to come down and have a go, raise some money and give shooting a try. The skills are different in each discipline and we offer things like clay pigeon shooting too which is very popular.”

As a Home Affairs enquiry begins into firearms control following the killings of Derek Bird and Raoul Moat the club are also keen to highlight just how safe their sport, a part of life in the Fens for hundreds of years, actually is.

“The gun laws in the UK are as strict as anywhere in the world,” Hill said.

“Unfortunately such terrible things happen but shooting as a sport is as safe as any.

“We’re a friendly bunch at the club and children can learn to handle weapons safely here. They get taught all about gun safety which is paramount as in the wrong hands guns can be a lethal weapon.

“Safety overrides everything. It’s why we encourage people to come and learn to shoot in safe environment.

The Home Office requires any non-certificate holders to contact the club if they wish to shoot on the day.

Register your interest as: isletargetsports@aol.com