A plot holder who had his greenhouse shot at in Bradley Field allotments believes that if he had been standing any closer 'there would have been a funeral this week'.
Roy Jeffery was one of four plot holders standing just metres from the greenhouse when the shot ploughed through a pane of glass in the roof.
Mr Jeffery has dismissed initial thoughts that the shot was from an air rifle stating: 'I heard a loud crack. As a shooting man myself, I'm sure it was not an air rifle because it was too loud.' Mr Jeffery, believes that a .22 rifle was responsible.
'It was quite frightening because we were stood so close. It hit at 5ft to 6ft high, at head height, so it was too low for the birds in the trees. They were either aiming at the greenhouse or it was an accident, you'll never know.'
One of the group, field manager Robin Lewis-Thomas, said: 'I could not exactly identify where it came from but it seemed to come from the direction of a row of houses in Barton Drive.'
'It could easily have hit any of us and I had my granddaughter with me. It could have done a lot of damage, easily injuring a person.'
The Newton Abbot and District Co-Operative Allotment Association Ltd which takes part in the annual Britain in Bloom competition and is involved with the Newton Abbot Cheese and Onion Fayre, has been the target of sporadic strikes by vandals.
Mr Jeffery's greenhouse was damaged by children throwing stones from the woods a week before the shooting incident.
Mr Lewis Thomas said: 'In the past, children have thrown rocks and kicked the warden. Greenhouses have been damaged before and it could be either teenagers or adults that have broken into huts to steal tools.
'We have been doing a lot of work to strengthen the boundaries with an 8ft fence along the lane that leads to Bradley Estate.'
Pc Paul May, the investigating officer said: 'We have conducted house-to-house enquiries trying to locate anyone who might have an air rifle or catapault but we cannot say for sure where the shot came from.'
Pc May admitted that the identity of the weapon was yet to be established but refuted claims that a .22 rifle was to blame: 'It is a pretty strong firearm and if anyone was using that we would be really concerned.
'It is a serious incident just the same. The people were standing five yards from the greenhouse so there is as much fear for people's safety as the damage to property itself.'