Police hope parents will take heed of the stark warning

Thames Valley Police bosses said the "stark" warning was necessary as replicas and BB guns were becoming so realistic-looking.

They said they could not overstate the risks of a youngster being confronted by armed officers.

The force is stepping up an ongoing campaign to highlight the dangers of the toys in the run up to Christmas.

Supt Paul Sullivan said: "The replica and ball bearing guns we've been seizing from teenagers are so realistic it is impossible on first glance to tell the difference between them.

"Our real worry is that when our armed officers are deployed following reports from the public they are not going to know whether the firearm being brandished around by a youngster is real or fake.

"We have to treat all firearms as if they are real. This means if your child is hanging around in public with an imitation firearm they could end up being confronted by armed police."