An anti-gun lobby group in South Africa says that the sale of toy and replica guns has reached alarming proportions and is contributing to the high levels of gun-related deaths in the country.

The lobby group, Gun Free South Africa, says the availability of replica weapons is contributing to the dangerous gun culture in a country where statistics suggest that more than 13 million real fire arms are already in general use.

Replica guns and weapons are freely available in most toy shops across South Africa. In a country where the police are struggling to control gun-related crime, children are following in the footsteps of adults and growing up with weapons in their hands.

Only last week, an 11-year-old boy was shot dead by a security guard who mistook his toy gun for a genuine weapon.

Criminals also use replica guns to carry out car hijackings and bank raids. Gun Free South Africa is calling for a ban on the sale of all replica weapons and encouraging parents to buy their children sports equipment instead.