Six armed police officers raced to a Swindon road this afternoon, following reports of a firearm being sighted on the passenger seat of a parked van.
Police were alerted to the find by a member of the public who called 999 at around 1.45pm today.
Three armed response units were dispatched to the scene on Ferndale Road, where they blocked in a large silver van which contained the suspect firearm – a shotgun.
A number of armed officers were seen stood outside an address on Cheney Manor Road for some time before they returned to their vehicles and left the scene.
Specialist officers at the scene said they were confident the firearm isn’t in service.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said: “We were called to Cheney Manor Road at 1.45pm today after a report that a firearm had been spotted on the front seat of a parked van.
“Armed officers were called – as is standard procedure.
“Following our enquiries it was established that the gun was a toy.”
