PEOPLE could get shot dead if they brandish fake guns, police are warning.

The warning comes after armed police swooped on a house in Weymouth when they received a call from two teenagers claiming they had seen a man with a silver hand gun.

Police said the youngsters called them when they spotted the man knocking on the door of a home in Emmadale Close. They said he sat on a wall outside the house and brought out a gun from a bag.

Police said he then got into a taxi to be taken to a house in Holland Road.

Armed police surrounded the property on Wednesday night and approached the man who handed over the fake gun to them.

Detective Sergeant John Foster, of Weymouth CID, said replica guns could potentially create a dangerous situation.

He said: "We treat armed incidents extremely seriously and there could create a risk to members of the public.

"Every time people flash replica guns there will be an armed response by police. It can be potentially very dangerous.

"Embarking on such an operation can create a considerable risk to the public and cost to police resources."

DS Foster said he would urge anyone who owns replica guns to hand them in to either Weymouth west or Weymouth east police stations.

He said: "The national guns amnesty is running until April 30 and people can hand them into the police with no questions asked. "There is no real reason for people to have replica guns."

So far more than 200 guns and 5,195 rounds of ammunition have been handed in to police stations throughout the county. This includes 56 prohibited weapons including hand guns, revolvers and shot guns.

The public can hand in any type of weapon from air rifles and air pistols to shotguns and ammunition.

If anyone sees someone with a firearm they should contact police on 999 immediately.