A MYSTERY gunman is still at large after an air rifle attack on a Fylde woman during a night out in the town centre.

The 22-year-old victim, was struck in the shoulder with an air rifle pellet at the junction of Cheapside on Abingdon Street, at around midnight on Monday, July 4. She was visiting the resort from her home in Freckleton for night out with a group of friends and was making her way to nearby bars on Clifton Street.

But -- following the incident -- ended up being treated by doctors at Blackpool Victoria Hospital after town centre CCTV camera operators alerted police to the incident.

It was initially hoped that the video footage would enable officers to identify the culprit but, after further inspection, the gunmen is believed to have committed the crime out of camera range. Police are now appealing for anybody who may have witnessed the shooting to come forward.

A Blackpool Police spokesman said: "Despite earlier beliefs that the CCTV cameras may have picked up images of the gunman, we've found that this is not the case. Therefore we would appeal for any witnesses who may have seen the shooting or noticed anybody acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the attack."

Anybody with information about the incident should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or Blackpool Police directly on 01253 293933, quoting crime reference AX5459.