A judge called for a crackdown on air guns yesterday after locking up a schoolboy who killed his friend when a prank went tragically wrong.

Matthew Sheffield, 14, was shot in the head by Daryl Allison as they larked around in the garden of Allison's home.

Matthew died when the pellet from the powerful .22 airgun lodged in his brain.

Yesterday, Allison, now 15 but who was 13 at the time, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution at Teesside Crown Court.

He had earlier been found guilty of manslaughter following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Sentencing Allison, Judge Peter Fox QC called for tighter gun laws to prevent similar tragedies and urged that a Bill be passed at the earliest opportunity in Parliament.

He said: "Legislation is urgently needed. Such guns should be licensed and kept under lock and key."

But he told Allison: "In my judgement you intended to do more than frighten him, you intended to hurt him with the pellet that you deliberately discharged at Matthew."

Matthew's parents, Mark and Wendy, called for a national campaign to put pressure on the Government.

Mr Sheffield, a 42-year-old computer programmer, said: "It is a tragedy that Matthew died and it is a tragedy that somebody has had to be sent away but the problem came about because children got their hands on a gun.

"We just want the Government to act and take the guns out of the hands of kids. We would like to see a national campaign - it is a national issue."

During the trial, Newcastle Crown Court heard how Allison killed Matthew with his father's air rifle, which he had found hidden in the loft.

The court heard that Matthew had gone to Allison's house in Croft Road, Eaglescliffe, Teesside, with his friends on April 29 last year.

The pals had been larking around and taking potshots with the gun when tragedy struck.

David Robson, prosecuting, said that as the afternoon wore on some "increasingly dangerous behaviour began to occur."

Matthew had his cap snatched from his head and it was hung up in the garden as a target.

Mr Robson said: "Young Matthew had decided it was time to retrieve the cap.

"As Matthew walked back down the garden the defendant aimed the gun at him and pulled the trigger."

The court heard that Matthew was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital after the boys ran to a neighbour who called an ambulance, but he died the following day.

Aidan Marron, defending, said Allison had not intended to hurt Matthew and said his action had been "horseplay" which went tragically wrong.

He said: "This boy has been absolutely devastated by what he has done."

It was the second trial over the incident as a jury at Teesside Crown Court was unable to reach a verdict earlier this year.

After the sentence was read out, Mr Sheffield said he and his wife were not vindictive. "Before the first trial we wanted to think that it was an accident. We had hoped it had been nothing more than a horrid accident.

"When you see the evidence presented in the trial, the jury came to the decision he was guilty, and we came to the decision he was guilty.

"Matthew was terrified in those last few moments."