POLICE have today warned against carrying toy weapons in public after two students caused an alert in Kings Lynn.Norfolk police were called at around 5.

POLICE have today warned against carrying toy weapons in public after two students caused an alert in Kings Lynn.

Norfolk police were called at around 5.15pm yesterday to reports of two men carrying rifles in a car in the Langley Road area of South Wootton.

Armed police were deployed and on further investigation they discovered the guns were plastic toy rifles which two students were using as props for filming.

Inspector Jerry Wright, based in the Constabulary's Control and Dispatch Centre, said: “Most members of the public cannot distinguish between a toy gun and a genuine firearm and even police officers would need close contact to be satisfied.

“Possession of a firearm in public, whether replica, toy or genuine, puts others in fear for their safety and will invariably result in an approach by specially-trained armed police officers who are carrying real firearms. Offenders put themselves in danger and our message to them is clear - to avoid possible arrest and prosecution, do not carry weapons of any type in a public place.”