Pensioner shot with crossbow while fixing satellite dish

A pensioner is critical after being shot with a crossbow while fixing his satellite dish.

Gerald Corrigan, 74, is in hospital after the bolt passed through his upper body and right arm at his home in North Wales early on Friday morning.

The retired lecturer was adjusting a faulty satellite dish at his "extremely remote" property near South Stack Road on the outskirts of Holyhead, shortly before 12.35am.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kearney said: "Our community and the victim's family want you to come forward of your own free will and do the decent thing to help them understand what happened.

"This is an impartial search for the truth and I have no doubt that any person who discharged such a weapon accidentally at a human being would be significantly traumatised.

"You will be treated professionally by myself and my team of officers."

The victim's family, who remain "deeply traumatised", according to DCI Kearney, issued a statement on Sunday saying that they could not think of anyone who would want to hurt him.

The pensioner, who worked as a lecturer in photography and video before retiring to Anglesey, staggered back inside the property before an ambulance was called.

He was taken to hospital in Bangor before being transferred to the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent because of his "significant life-threatening" injuries.

One line of inquiry is whether those involved were ''lamping'' - a nighttime animal hunting activity involving spotlights.

On Saturday, police said they were keen to hear from anyone involved in either lamping, hunting and game or pest control in the South Stack area of Holyhead.

Locals say lampers have reportedly been operating in the area recently.

Mr Kearney urged businesses on Anglesey and in North Gwynedd that sell crossbows, bolts and accessories to contact police.

:: Anybody who can assist the investigation should contact North Wales Police on 101, or via the live webchat quoting reference number X052857.