A FIREARMS officer was called to Bournemouth Square following concerns that a teenager had "what looked like a handgun" but proved to be a toy gun.

Quick action was taken by a police community support officer and community safety accreditation scheme officer on Monday.

A spokesperson for Bournemouth Police said they needed to act quickly to try to ascertain if the item was a genuine firearm before the 16-year-old girl, who was with another teenager, caused fear, alarm or distress in a busy town centre location.

A Dorset Police spokeswoman said: "While on patrol in Bournemouth Square, a police community support officer and community safety accreditation scheme officer noticed a young person in possession of what looked like a potential weapon.

"As the public would expect we have an obligation to take these matters extremely seriously and ensure that appropriate action is taken. In this instance, it was important that the item was checked by a trained firearms officer and it was subsequently established to be a toy gun.

"Officers spoke to the child to make them aware of the seriousness of carrying a toy gun and the potential implications."