YOBS went on a drive-by paintball shooting spree across Greater Manchester - starting in Bury.

Police are now hunting the group of men who were seen driving around the region shooting at people with a paintball gun from two cars.

The first attack happened at about 6.30pm on Saturday, in Powell Street, Bury, when a group of men in a dark-coloured Vauxhall were seen firing paintballs at a house.

It was the first of eight attacks, with the second taking place several hours later in Bury New Road, Prestwich, between 11.15pm and 11.45pm.

The first victim was walking with friends when two cars, one a dark-coloured Vauxhall and the second a grey or silver Range Rover, drove past and opened fire, hitting the victim on the body with orange paint.

There were then two more attacks on pedestrians in Bury New Road between 11.15pm and 11.45pm, one in Prestwich and another in Whitefield.

On both occasions the two cars drove past, the men opened fire and hit the victims on the body with orange paintballs before driving off, laughing.

They then struck in Fallowfield, Manchester, with the first of two attacks in the area happening at 12.20am Sunday morning in Wilbraham Road near the junction of Yew Tree Road.

The victim was shot four times by the men, leaving him with bruises on his back and chest.

He also saw the same two cars driving off in tandem.

The second attack in Fallowfield took place in Mosley Road, near the Armitage Centre, at about 1.45am on Sunday, when the victim was shot and called a "slag" by the men, who then drove off at high speed.

The seventh victim was attacked in Kingsway at the junction with Green End at 2am on Sunday, when the two cars pulled over to the curb and shot the victim in the face.

The victim had to be taken to hospital with severe swelling and bruising on his left eye.

The final attack happened in Heaton Moor, Stockport, just before 3am, where a man was shot several times by the occupants of the Vauxhall before being told "I hope that hurt" by a man in the Range Rover as the two cars drove off towards Shaw Road.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested and bailed until May 19 and another two men, aged 22 and 20, have also been arrested on suspicion of assault.

They are still in police custody for questioning.

Det Sgt Iqbal Ahmed said: "This may have been treated like a bit of fun for the men who perpetrated this string of attacks, but we are treating these incidents extremely seriously.

"This was a high powered weapon used by the men to inflict pain on innocent passersby and one of the victims was frankly very lucky not to lose an eye after being shot in the face.

"The fact that these men then verbally abused some of their victims further demonstrates their callous nature and we are appealing anyone who might have witnessed the attacks or might have been a victim themselves and not reported it, to come forward so we can bring the men responsible to justice."

Anyone with information can call police on 0161 8568292 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.