Shooting range uses IS bride Shamima Begum picture for target practice

Shamima Begum fled the UK to join IS. Credit: Laura Lean/PA

An image of teenage IS bride Shamima Begum has been used for a target at a children’s shooting range alongside others depicting Donald Trump and Justin Bieber.

The target, designed by the Ultimate Airsoft Range in Wallasey, Wirral, received a record number of requests from customers, who would shoot at the target with BB guns.

The company deleted a video posted on Twitter showing printed copies of the target accompanied by the hashtag "no remorse", following a backlash from social media users.

Begum, who left her east London home to join IS in Syria in 2015, wants to return to the UK. Credit: PA

Photographs showing bullet holes around Begum’s face on the target are also being circulated online.

The Ultimate Airsoft Range told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme the range was intended "for people to learn the importance and safety of handling weapons, while having fun".

"Our targets provide some fantastic reactions and conversations … bringing out the inner child in all," a spokesman said.

The guns were available for use by children as young as six.

The spokesman also said: "The targets we provide do not necessarily always reflect our personal opinions," stating Ultimate Airsoft Range LTD does not condone terrorism.

"After watching footage of Shamima Begum being interviewed and the lack of remorse and empathy she shows, we chose to go ahead and run the targets," he added.

One user tweeted: "An airsoft shooting range in the UK is using pictures of Shamima Begum as target practice. I am genuinely disgusted that this was even allowed to happen."

Other target images include Margaret Thatcher, Jose Mourinho, Theresa May and Kim Jong Un.

Angela Eagle, the MP for Wallasey, disagreed with the idea of real faces being used as targets saying "it could be misinterpreted".

"They shouldn’t be using living people as targets - especially as six-year-olds might be playing," she added.

The establishment offers the airsoft rifles and pistols to shoot at the image alongside other targets, with packages starting at £7.

Airsoft guns, more commonly known as BB guns, enable replica weapons to fire 6mm plastic BB bullets.

Begum, who left her east London home to join IS in Syria in 2015, wants to return to the UK for the sake of her newborn third child, but has been stripped of her British citizenship.