It is only a matter of time before officers are forced to shoot people who carry replica guns and air rifles in public, according to South Wales Police.

Senior officers fear those who brandish fake guns - which are used as fashion accessories as well as to commit crime - do not realise the danger they are putting themselves in.

We shoot to stop, we don't shoot to kill Chief Inspector Mike Brook

The force condemned the rising number of incidents involving imitation firearms which armed police were being sent to deal with.

The latest figures show that on average the forces' armed response vehicles (ARVs) are being sent to calls four time a day.

South Wales Police Chief Inspector Mike Brook said: "The incidents of those people with imitation firearms is on the increase and we are really concerned with the trend.

"Recently we had a call to say there was a man armed with a rifle in an area near a garage.

"The armed response vehicle was sent out and it turned out that it was an air gun.

A replica mini Uzi gun was seized recently

"That person was lucky that he dropped that weapon but it worries me what would happen if he had turned around quickly and pointed it at the ARV.

"We are trying to educate people to tell them how stupid they are to arm up with weapons," he said.

Ch Insp Brook said that the armed officers underwent intensive training to deal with incidents involving firearms.

"It is down to police tactics that we haven't shot anyone yet," he said.

'Shoot to kill'

"The criminals and mindless people are very lucky and owe a lot to our officers who opt for the less lethal options first.

"We shoot to stop, we don't shoot to kill.

"They only reason we would shoot is that a member of the public or the officer or a colleague is in danger.

"The biggest area to shoot is in the chest and if we do respond with fire arms they are likely to die," he added.

Assistant Chief Constable of South Wales Police, David Francis said: "I fear time after time we are going to shoot someone - a young person or a drunk.

Ch Insp Mike Brook wants people to stop carrying fake guns

"Every time someone takes a gun out without thinking, there is a real risk they are going to get shot", he added.

Up to 500 weapons including knives, and firearms like submachine guns and AK47s and are seized every six weeks in the force area.

Last year South Wales Police dealt with 295 firearms incidents -15-years-ago that figure was five.

They believe that half of the recent incidents would be cut if the use of imitation weapons was stopped.

The majority of incidents involved teenagers and people under the influence of alcohol.