Police: Toy guns are risky

Saturday, December 05, 2009

POLICE said children playing with toy guns run the risk of being confronted by armed marksmen.

Essex police said parents should not buy youngsters plastic guns for Christmas in case passers-by thought the toys were weapons.

Senior officers say most children, parents and teachers are unaware of the risks generated by toy guns.

Police said they had been called to nearly 900 "firearms incidents" during 2009 and many involved replica guns. Supt Simon Williams said: "This has to stop now."

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, December 05, 2009