Armed police alerted over ‘Dad’s Army’ fans

ARMED police stopped a group of Dad’s Army fans after officers received reports of a gang carrying machine guns.

Officers were called to Chester city centre on Monday after a member of the public reported seeing men dressed in combat clothing and carrying weapons.

But they turned out to be a group of war history enthusiasts – dressed as Home Guard soldiers – promoting a Royal British Legion event.

Their weapons, which included several machine guns commonly used in the Second World War, had been deactivated.

Cheshire Police tweeted a picture of the guns, with a spokesman saying they had received a report of men dressed in military uniforms, carrying replica firearms. “Officers quickly established there was no danger to the public,” it commented.

The Home Guard were a reserve force of volunteers made up of people who were too old or otherwise exempt from military service.

They were famously portrayed in the BBC sitcom