WHEN guns and knives were used in more than 150 incidents in Bolton already this year, it's no wonder that police and other officials are twitchy about even children with toy guns.
It may sound completely over the top when armed police caution a 10 year-old with a cap gun in Salisbury but, really, our sympathies should be with the police.
Frightening recent film footage of a young teen in Stockport brandishing a gun in public prompted a police scare, and quite right, too. It must surely be only a matter of time before an 11 year-old or similar is shot dead by police marksmen in just such a gun incident.
When replica and toy guns are made to look so authentic, who in their right mind is going to come close enough to check?
Better to prevent children of all ages from playing outside with any sort of guns, other than the obviously fake, rather than risk the possible worrying consequences.
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