Kids spotted pointing toy guns and holding each other at gunpoint on Sheffield street
A warning has been issued after police were alerted to children playing with toy guns in a Sheffield street.
Three teenagers were seen playing with plastic guns in Johnson Street – off Nursery Street – yesterday.
They were spotted pointing the guns at each other and appeared to pretend to hold one of the boys at gunpoint in a hostage type scenario.
They were also seen aiming their guns at the New Testament Church of God.
The boys were photographed by a concerned member of the public, who called the police to inform the force that the guns were toys before anyone else dialled 999 believing the teens were genuinely armed.
The witness said: “I called the police before anyone else did to prevent armed officers being deployed to what was children playing with toy guns.
“It was the city centre and there were people nearby so it could have been possible for someone to have called the police to report the boys as being armed.
“I thought it wise to call the police to avoid armed response officers turning up.
“It might have been kids having fun but if armed police had been called it would have been a different situation.
“In this day and age, they just need to think about what they are doing and how pretending to be armed with a gun could appear to others.”
South Yorkshire said: “Police were called with reports of a group of youths in possession of BB guns.
“Officers attended and carried out area searches, but the group had already dispersed.”