Police say it is hard to distinguish a BB gun from a real firearm

Strathclyde Police said there had been a steep rise in the number of air weapons and imitation firearms, such as BB guns, seized by armed officers.

Specialist teams have recovered 145 of the weapons since April, compared with 62 during the same period last year.

Police said officers do not always have the time to assess whether a gun pointed at them is real or not.

Split-second response

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Learmonth said: "Imagine now the repercussions for not only the victim and their family but that of the officer involved and the person who made the call to the police, if someone is shot and the gun turns out to be an imitation.

"All this can be avoided if parents take greater responsibility in ensuring their child is not carrying a weapon."

ACC Learmonth said being confronted by someone brandishing a weapon requires a split-second response.

He added: "We do not want an incident to end in tragedy.

"For some reason, carrying a gun is seen as cool and demands respect but I can see nothing cool, only potential for tragic consequences."

Solidarity MSP for Glasgow Tommy Sheridan has lodged a bill in the Scottish Parliament to ban the use of airguns including rifles and pistols.

The move follows the shooting of two-year-old Andrew Morton in Glasgow.