Police have charged a man after a firearms incident led to a York city centre pub being evacuated.
A member of the public reported seeing a man with a gun in the Cross Keys on Goodramgate at around 5.50pm on Friday (February 23).
The pub was evacuated and police, including firearms officers, attended and arrested one man at the scene.
After carrying out enquiries, officers have ascertained that the weapon involved was a sporting air pistol, which uses compressed air to shoot pellets.
Police then issued this statement at 5.25pm on Saturday (February 24):
A 37-year-old man has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm in a public place, namely a BB gun.
He has been bailed to appear in front of magistrates in York in April.
The man is from the York area.
Very rapid response
Inspector Jonathan Asvadi, of York Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We’d like to thank the members of the public who had the diligence to report this to the police.
“It was absolutely the right thing to do and we’d always encourage people who see anything suspicious, especially if it may involve a weapon, to report it to us immediately.
“After making further enquiries, we now know that this was an air pistol and we do not believe it was used in a threatening manner.
“However, clearly it caused alarm and a very rapid police response.
“When responding to reports such as this our first and foremost priority is to ensure the public stay safe at all times.”