POLICE in Kilmarnock last week warned people of the dangers of carrying replica guns in public.
The threat came after armed response vehicles attended a number of calls in the town.
Five people have been arrested in the past few weeks as a result of incidents involving people carrying imitation, replica or BB firearms in the East Ayrshire to
wn.
Chief Inspector Colin Martin, from Kilmarnock police office, is concerned with the rise in the number of incidents, and warned would-be offenders of the dangers.
He said: "What I would say to people carrying imitation firearms or BB guns is very clear — the carrying and brandishing of such weapons is taken very seriously.
"Neither the public nor the police can tell without close examination whether the weapon is genuine and we have to approach these incidents with the assumption that the gun is real. On two occasions in recent weeks this has resulted in people being arrested by armed officers.
"Anyone arrested will be brought before a court at the earliest opportunity and could face imprisonment."
He added: "I can see no legitimate reason for anyone to carry a firearm of any description in a public place, whether it is real or imitation, unless they have lawful authority or a reasonable excuse to do so.
"We are determined, through enforcement and education, to combat the problem and ensure public safety."
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