A boy playing with a BB gun sparked an armed police operation.

Firearms officers swooped on St Johns Park, Burgess Hill, after reports a man dressed in a balaclava and camouflage gear was hiding in the bushes yesterday.

Police tailed the suspect after he got in a car but when it was stopped police found the suspect to be a 11-year-old boy.

Armed officers stopped the silver car in Maple Drive recovered the “hand gun”.

However, a police spokesman said it was “later established to be a BB gun”.

He said it had been retained by police and advice was given to the boy and his guardian.

No one was injured during the incident. Sergeant Simon Alexander said the response was “appropriate” for the information they had at the time.

He said: “All reports of firearms incidents are dealt with according to careful policies and procedures to ensure the safety of the public.

“This incident highlights once again the problems created when people are seen in possession of firearms in public. It is often impossible to differentiate between a real or imitation gun even to the trained eye so in such circumstances the gun must be assumed to be genuine and treated as such until the facts are established."

Do you know the boy's family. Contact Rebecca Evans on 01273 544511.