Parents, teachers and children across Essex are being asked to lock up imitation and toy weapons following a spate of incidents that saw members of the public dial 999 after seeing youngsters brandishing what they believed to be real weapons.
Police are keen to make people aware of the dangers of possessing imitation weapons, with offenders facing possible 10-year prison sentences if found guilty of intending to cause fear of violence.
In recent weeks, the force's firearms officers have been called to a growing number of incidents where young people have had imitation firearms and ball-bearing guns (BB), causing the public to dial 999.
Firearms manager Chief Insp Kevin Bailey said he was extremely concerned, that while responding to genuine calls from the public reporting suspect firearms, officers could inadvertently injure someone.
"When responding to such incidents, firearms officers cannot always identify whether or not a firearm is real or fake. Carrying an imitation could ultimately result in a highly-trained armed officer having to challenge a young person and so we are becoming increasingly worried."
Published Tuesday December 16, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article