The shop owner whose toy gun was featured on the front page of the Evening Press today hit back at criticism that the toys could be mistaken for the real thing.

Lee Barker, co-owner of E D and L Barker Gifts, in Minster Gate, York, said the guns conformed to strict British and European laws and that he believed they posed no threat to public safety.

The Evening Press ran the story on Saturday following a number of incidents where police were called out following reports of youths seen with guns in the city.

One city shop has been asked by police to remove toy pellet guns from sale after a nine-year-old girl was shot and injured, and police say the majority of armed robberies are committed with imitation guns.

By law, the toy guns must be sold with stoppers.

Mr Barker said: "We have been selling these guns for many years now and have never had any repercussions.

"If they are not modified there is no way you could mistake them for real guns."

Another difference which sets them apart from real firearms is their size they are ten per cent smaller than the real thing.

Mr Barker said that most toy guns were sold to children who were accompanied by parents.

Others were sold to drama students for use in productions.

"But, if someone came in wanting to buy one who looked suspicious or if we thought they would not be using it as a cap gun we would not sell to them," he said.