SHOTS were fired at the Horwich house where the family of Irish terrorist, Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair, is seeking refuge.

A gunman is believed to have fired up to five shots through a window at the rear of the terraced home in Chorley New Road.

The incident happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

In the house was Adair's wife, Gina, and his three children.

They were all asleep when the gunman struck shortly after 2am. It was all over within seconds.

Police arrived within minutes and the area was sealed off. Roads leading to the property were cordoned off and reinforcements, including officers from the firearms unit, were drafted in. A senior detective said no one had been injured in the shooting which he described as an isolated incident. He said: "No other people were in danger and Horwich residents have nothing to fear."

Police are now trying to find the motive for the shooting and it is believed they will be investigating possible terrorist links.

The shooting came on the day that a national firearms amnesty revealed more than 20,000 weapons, including more than 2,000 in Greater Manchester, had been handed in.

Uniformed officers were still outside the house near the Horwich RMI Social Club at lunchtime on Wednesday.

The family of Adair, a loyalist chief who is in prison in Ireland, came to Bolton in February. Up to 25 people close to the Ulster terrorist had stayed in a Bolton hotel.

They were seeking refuge, fearing reprisals following in-fighting among loyalists in Belfast earlier this month.

They fled when their home in Lower Shankill, Belfast, was attacked.

A woman in the group in the Bolton hotel said at the time: "We are looking to stay here."

But within days relatives left the area.

However, Mrs Adair and the children moved into the house in Chorley New Road, Horwich which is financed by a housing association in Belfast.

Over the last two months, Mrs Adair's presence in Bolton has been monitored by Special Branch officers.

Adair has been in and out of jail since being sentenced to 16 years in 1994 after pleading guilty to directing terrorism.

He was released in 1999 under the Good Friday Agreement.

In August, 2000, he was jailed again when he allegedly stirred up rivalry among loyalists.

In May, 2002, he was released on licence, but he was recently returned to Maghaberry prison when the Government thought he was likely to commit crime.

Adair's family and friends fled Belfast following the execution of Ulster Defence Association commander John Gregg. He was shot dead when he returned from a Glasgow Rangers football match.

Among those who fled were Adair's wife, Gina, his three children and friend John White.

They caught a ferry from Belfast to Carnryan and headed for Scotland.

Adair, who has a fierce reputation as a terrorist, headed the Ulster Freedom Fighters' C Company which is suspected of killing more than 20 Catholics during the 1980s and 1990s.

He was believed to have been the target of an IRA bomb which killed 10 people in October 1993.

There have been 13 attempts on his life. He is due to remain in prison until January 2005.

The blinds were drawn on Wednesday at the brick-built Bolton terrace house where the shooting took place and a police officer was standing guard at the door. A back street, at the rear of the home was cordoned off.

Neighbours reported hearing the sounds of gun fire.

Alison Taylor, aged 40, of adjacent Hartley Street, said she had heard shots fired at about 1.55am.

She said: "I heard three or four loud bangs and the sound of glass breaking. Shortly afterwards the police were everywhere."

Another neighbour who lives in Fairbairn Street said she heard up to eight repetitive shots.

She said: "It was very very loud. I thought someone was trying to break into my house and as I looked out, other neighbours were in the street to see what was going on." A car which she believes belongs to a resident of the house, with an Irish number plate, was in the cordoned off area of the back street.

Neighbours said the car's windows were smashed last week.

Forensic officers were also at the house today and their equipment was visible by the back gates of the house which was propped against a wall off its hinges.

Maureen Whittle, aged 55, owner of Maureen's Hairdressers, said that she had not heard any of the shots and added that the family in the house had many visitors but kept themselves to themselves.

Police appealed for any witnesses to the shooting to come forward.

Greater Manchester police are urging people to hand in weapons on the last day of the national gun amnesty. Tough new penalties will be introduced at midnight meaning that anyone found in possession of a firearm could be jailed for up to five years.