Quote:02 April 2007

Lambeth Council Trading Standards officers have seized a cache of ultra-realistic replica guns from a shop in Brixton, on the eve of a new law that will make their sale illegal.

The replica weapons, which range from hand guns to automatic machine guns, are not toys but ultra-realistic copies of real firearms that are made to fire hard plastic ball bearings over 50 metres and with speeds in excess of 100 metres a second.

It is unlikely that they could have been converted to fire real bullets, but they are realistic enough to have been used in criminal activity as they are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing from a distance.

Quote:["Their only purpose could be to scare and intimidate, and their sale can only assist criminals as they are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing from a distance. Trading Standards will continue to make sure these items are removed from sale in Lambeth and will be taking action firm against any traders found selling replica firearms after 6 April."