Shooting range insists using Shamima Begum's face for target practice is 'light-hearted fun'

A shooting range has been using 19-year-old Shamima Begum’s photo for target practice, prompting mass outrage.

Begum left the UK for Syria and IS in 2015 when she was 15 years old, and she has been appealing the UK government to allow her to return with her newborn baby.

The range, called Ultimate Airsoft Range in the World War 2 tunnels of New Brighton, Wallasey is being accused of racism after the Victoria Derbyshire revealed the images of Begum.

One of the pictures, which was provided by a concerned customer to the BBC show, demonstrates several bullet holes and her name, ‘Shamima’ written in what appears to be Hindi script (Shamima was born in the UK and her ethnic background is Bangladeshi).

Wallasey MP Angela Eagle “disapproved” of the range’s decision to use Begum’s photo. She said:

It is wrong to use real people as targets as it can be misinterpreted, I am disapproving of shooting people who exist.

In a statement, Ultimate Airsoft Range insists the photo is nothing more than "light-hearted fun:"

The targets provide some fantastic reactions and conversations and allow people to have some light-hearted fun and bring out the inner child in us all.

The targets don't always reflect personal opinions and we don't want to condone terrorism.

But after watching the interview with Ms Begum being interviewed, there was a lack of empathy that she had shown and we decided to listen to our customers and use them as targets.

Other people who are being used as targets in the range include Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump and Margaret Thatcher.

People online are calling it 'dangerous'

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