A man and his young son from Las Torres de Cotillas in Murcia will be looking over their shoulders every time they sit down to watch television in the future because, on Friday night, the sound of gunshots weren’t the result of the Miami Vice soundtrack, they were actually being fired into the back of the sofa on which they were relaxing, by neighbours following a family dispute.

Both can now agree though that it was an absolute miracle that neither was killed or seriously injured.

As the shots exploded into the sofa the father and son were happily relaxing, without so much as a care in the world, or so they first thought!

The bullets were fired into the house through the front door from outside in the street. As well as lodging in in the lounge and corridor walls two bullets hit the sofa on which the pair were resting. When the pistol magazine had been emptied the assailants then kicked their way into the property where they threatened the man before making their escape.

Investigations by the Civil Guard focused on two individuals, who had previously been suspected of threatening the family of a stepbrother in Sangonera la Verde with a handgun, the result it would appear of yet another long-time disagreement.

The suspects were quickly identified, one of whom is said to have been on weekend release from prison, where he was serving time for a number of other crimes. He duly returned to the prison on the Monday morning when he was interviewed regarding the weekend offences. His accomplice had earlier been arrested in Sangonera la Verde when he returned to his home.

The two arrested, both Spaniards aged 27 and 36, are accused of attempted murder, threats, illicit possession of weapons and, in the case of one of them, also of breach of his parole conditions.

Although the young boy and his father suffered no injuries, they both agreed to having a monumental scare with one passing just 50 centimetres from the adult’s head, while the other grazed his leg.