A Lara Croft lookalike sparked an armed police alert after brandishing her pistols in public.

Former model Michelle Powell and husband Bob had been at Tesco in Station Road, Portslade, to take some publicity shots for the release of the computer game, Tomb Raider.

But, unaware the only shots the pair was interested in were photographs, a frightened onlooker dialled 999.

She told the operator she had spotted a woman dressed in black parading round with two silver pistols.

A Sussex Police armed response team tracked their 4x4 vehicle back to Holmes Avenue, Hove, and surrounded the house.

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Armed with guns and bullet proof jackets, they waited outside anxiously.

It was then Bob, a technical director for an events company, nipped out to grab something from his car.

Within seconds he was apprehended and frisked by officers.

Speaking to The Argus at the time, he said: “I saw the police screech up behind me through my rear view mirror.

“I assumed there was something going on elsewhere in the road.

“Then they told me to get out of my car and keep my hands where they could see them.

“They asked if I had any guns and I said I didn’t. Then they asked if I had been at Tesco’s and the penny dropped.”

He informed the armed officers his wife was merely a lookalike and the guns were plastic.

Inspector Powells, from Sussex Police, said: “At the end of the day, we were all able to have a good laugh about it. I’m glad we were dealing with Tomb Raiders and not bank raiders.”