A CHILD'S war game turned into a full scale manhunt last night with armed police storming into Shuttleworth.

Control staff at Greater Manchester Police and in neighbouring Lancashire were inundated with calls from people in the village who had seen a man in full combat dress pointing a weapon at passing motorists.

The Lancashire Police helicopter was scrambled and armed police officers were called to the scene.

An intensive search of the area, however, failed to find the wanted man.

Det Sgt Duncan Heywood of Bury's Operational Policing Unit said: "The calls about the man came in thick and fast shortly before 10pm and all the appropriate policing units, in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, were despatched to the scene.

"The helicopter used his search lights to assist in a search for the man but he had disappeared."

The mystery was solved three hours later when police received a call from a children's home in Shuttleworth.

They were told one of the children had been out roaming the village, dressed in combat gear and playing with a toy gun.

Det Sgt Heywood added: "The 15-year-old boy was given a stern warning about his behaviour."