Police stop man with fake rifle at city airport

A GAMING fan sparked an armed police alert at Birmingham Airport – when he walked through the busy passenger hub clad in black and toting a fake rifle and ammunition.

The gamer – in fancy dress – was surrounded by officers with real firearms as he headed to the giant Insomnia60 festival at the nearby NEC.

He was wearing black and carrying a rifle-style gun, complete with a telescopic sight, ammunition magazines and a helmet.

But a witness said the gamer appeared to be “scared to death” when police swooped at around 10am on Easter Monday.

Kyle Evans, a gaming journalist, told the Post: “Well done to the cops for getting on it, they did a good job. The guy was wearing a helmet and was in blacked-out clothes with magazine-type holders round his waist and a gun which looked fairly realistic. He looked very sorry and worried.”

Mr Evans walked past as four armed police and one unarmed officer pulled the young man to one side and gave him words of advice.

He said the officers appeared “quite annoyed” as they quizzed the man about walking on a road below a monorail link.