Police have warned people about the dangers of carrying imitation firearms in public.
It comes after armed officers were deployed in Douglas yesterday {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/armed-police-officers-deployed-after-man-seen-with-shotgun-1-7623070|after a man was seen with what appeared to be a shotgun} in the Bridge Road/Lake Road area of Douglas.
Following ‘extensive inquiries’ the police found the man concerned and identified the item that was seen being carried.
A spokesman said: ‘The item was an extremely lifelike stage prop of a rifle.
‘Without being up close to the item and having knowledge of weapons, there would have been no way in telling that this was in fact a fake item. It was realistic, but having been examined found be harmless.’
He added: ‘We would like to thank the public for their response in respect of this matter and hope that you fully understand the reasons behind why we acted in the way that we did.
‘This matter has been resolved without incident or harm to anyone, but serves as a timely reminder that if you need to carry stage props or re-enactment weapons that you ensure that they are properly covered, so as not to cause potential distress.’