Police chief warns on fake guns
LYNNE ROBERTSON
A police chief yesterday warned it was only a matter of time before someone was killed amid an increasing trend among young people to carry imitation firearms.
Tom Wood, the deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police - launching an amnesty which will allow the owners of imitation and toy firearms to hand in the fake guns for destruction at police stations across the force area - told of a dramatic increase in the number of incidents involving replica guns.
Last weekend alone, officers in Lothian and Borders had dealt with at least six calls involving young people carrying or displaying imitation guns.
Highlighting concern, the police chief warned: "In these situations, we have to deploy our armed response unit. It is a desperately dangerous situation. It is going to end in disaster.
"While our firearms officers are very highly trained, it is very hard to decide whether a weapon is a replica or the genuine article, particularly in bad light and difficult circumstances."
He appealed to parents not to buy imitation firearms or BB air guns for their children. -June 28th