Sussex Police issue warning about air guns after reports of firearms

Officers were called to incidents in Selsey and Horsham after people called police about seeing people with firearms in public.

Sussex Police have now issued a warning for people to use air weapons and BB guns legally.

In both cases, the weapons seen were not real firearms but looked realistic.

Inspector Oli Fisher from Sussex Police’s tactical firearms unit said: “BB guns and air weapons are legal to buy and many people in the county will own them.

"It is important for everyone who owns or handles one to make sure they understand the law and stay within it. In some cases, items are made to look more realistic by being repainted.

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"If the colour of the items is changed to make them look like a real firearm, this risks causing unnecessary concern to the general public.

"In these circumstances, armed response officers will often be deployed to respond to these concerns from the public.

"This puts the owner or handler at risk of being arrested and getting a criminal conviction, and it also puts the public at risk if our armed officers are busy responding to these concerns when they may be needed at a critical incident elsewhere.”

All air weapons and air soft guns must be used on private property and have the permission of the property owner.

They must also be two-tone in colour to clearly demarcate them from being an illegal firearm.