AS a commando in the Second World War, William Parsons was used to dodging bullets and even took a few.

Now the brave 88-year-old is avoiding being shot again - but this time it's in his own home.

Mr Parsons still has scars from his war-time gunshot wounds but is under fire from a new menace in the form of thugs who took a pot shot at his living room window with an air rifle.

"I am not scared of bullets - I have been shot at plenty of times," he said. But the veteran, who lives in Blackwood, is concerned that the same thing could be done to others.

He is now offering a £300 reward for information that leads to the conviction of the person responsible.

Mr Parsons says he was sleeping in his chair watching television when he was woken by a loud bang in the early afternoon.

"At first I thought perhaps something had happened to the central heating. Then I realised the window had been broken about halfway up.

"I looked outside but there was no one to be seen." Mr Parsons, a father-of-four whose wife died 18 months ago, says the pellet only pierced the outside part of the double glazing but the damage will cost around £100 to repair. "If it had come right through it could have been very dangerous," he added. "If anyone knows who has done this I would like them to give the information to the police.

"Somebody must have seen someone carrying an air rifle or pistol." Mr Parsons joined the Eighth Army in Egypt in 1940 and became a commando. He served in several countries during the war, including Egypt and Yugoslavia.

He was shot several times in the legs in 1943 and spent six months in hospital. He also has scars on his head, from shrapnel wounds.

But he recovered enough to resume active service, later parachuting into Albania for a successful operation against German soldiers before the war ended.

"If whoever did this to me gets away with it, then they may do it again to someone else."

Police at Blackwood said yesterday that the incident had been reported to them.

Anyone with information should contact Blackwood police station on 01495 223673.