Armed police swoop on quiet street only to find a water pistol

Armed police swoop on quiet street after reports of teenagers with a gun – that turned out to be a water pistol

  • Police blocked off a suburban street in Worcester following reports of a ‘rifle’
  • Armed officers and dog handlers discovered a discarded plastic water pistol

Armed police yesterday rushed to a suburban street in Worcester following reports of youths waving a gun – that turned out to be a plastic water pistol. 

West Mercia police blocked off Wyld’s Lane in Worcester at around 4.30pm on Wednesday after panicked residents called emergency services.

However, armed officers and police dog handlers quickly discovered the reported ‘rifle’ was in fact a plastic toy.

Officers were subsequently pictured interrogating a group of youngsters who denied any knowledge of the plastic water pistol. 

Police said the toy water pistol was the ‘size and shape’ of a genuine firearm as they claimed every call out must be treated as ‘genuine’. 

Armed police swooped into a suburban street in Worcester following reports of a group of youths with a ‘rifle’ 

The officers discovered what turned out to be a plastic water pistol after panicked residents called the police on Wednesday afternoon

Armed officers rushed to the scene after a group of teens were seen waving a ‘a rifle’ around and pretending to shoot it.

Chief Inspector Julian Smith said: ‘Due to the nature of the calls armed officers were deployed to the scene.’ 

‘Thankfully it was established the weapon was a toy and did not post any threat, however, that was not known at the time, and we must treat every call as genuine,’ the chief inspector said. 

Local residents said at least 10 armed officers were sent to the quiet residential street before finding the plastic toy had been discarded.

Wyld’s Lane is a leafy street in the suburbs of Worcester that is lined with red brick terraced houses.  

Eyewitnesses said they saw two people in handcuffs as officers quizzed a group of youths who denied any knowledge of the discarded water gun. 

Police say no arrests were made. 

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