THREE former pupils who hid in trees with an air rifle and fired on Inveralmond Community High School, were fined a total of #1200 at Livingston Sheriff Court, yesterday.

The court was told that pellets narrowly missed a jogger and people walking through the school grounds, and bounced off classroom windows and the windscreen of a delivery van.

Sheriff Francis Crowe told Derek Corbett, 18, James Campbell, 17, and Stephen Clark, 17: ''I would have thought young men would have known the potential dangers of firing an air rifle.

''I am astonished that you did not think about the potential, even from ricochets, if one of these had hit a member of the public in the eye. Very serious consequences could have followed.''

The three hid themselves in trees about 60 yards from the school in Livingston, West Lothian, in June last year, and took it in turn to fire across the playground with the .177 calibre weapon.

The court was told that maths teacher Donald Shaw raced outside to see what was going on after his class was disrupted by pellets striking the windows.

Depute fiscal Emma Knox said: ''People heard what they described as skooshing noises. One person, who was jogging through the school grounds heard a pellet whizzing by him.''

A fourth youngster, a juvenile who was dealt with by the Children's Panel, took aim and hit a man just outside the school. The three older boys then took fright and fled with the rifle.

After Corbett, Campbell and Clark admitted a charge of reckless discharge of a firearm, defence agent for Corbett, Mr Stewart Watt, told the court: ''It was a stupid prank.''

Corbett, of Eagle Brae, was fined #500, Campbell, of Lochbank, was fined #300, and Clark, of Ryebank, all Livingston, was fined #400.

The court also ordered forfeiture of the air rifle, which belonged jointly to Clark and Campbell.