A woman has described her horror after finding a 30in arrow, which has been fired over the A11 into her garden.

The 75-year-old, who did not wish to be named, found the arrow embedded in her lawn in Cringleford on Saturday morning, and said she was horrified that someone had used the weapon in a residential area.

According to police, the stray weapon was fired by a man on Freesia Way at around 4:55am Saturday.

The woman, whose home backs onto the A11, said she was amazed someone had been able to shoot the weapon, which has a sharp, metal tip, over the road.

She said: "It had obviously come across the A11, which is appalling because if it had hit a car or a motorcyclist it would have caused a serious accident. I have two grandchildren and there's other little girls that live on this road. There could have been serious damage if it hit them."

A second arrow was discovered a day later in a neighbour's garden.

She said: "Everyone is horrified. It's sharp, this isn't a kids toy. It's a full sized weapon. We have all been on the look out for more arrows ever since."

Robert Howes, member of archery club Broadland Bowmen, said the incident could have ended much worse and warned people to only practice archery at locations designed for the sport.

He said: "At the end of the day this is a lethal weapon, it is designed to kill and if it hit someone it would likely cause a puncture wound. Archery is not something to take lightly."

A police spokesman said: "We were called to concerns for a man's welfare who was shooting arrows at street lamps at a property in Freesia Way, Cringleford on Saturday 23 November at 4:55am.

"Police and paramedics attended and the man was taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act."