THE search for a ’gunman’ in a Forest town ended when a teenager handed in a plastic firearm at a police station.

The police helicopter was scrambled last Friday (February 16) while officers joined in the search on the ground after reports of a gunman "on the loose" in the Lambsquay Road area of Coleford.

No trace was found of the wanted man, and police later issued a CCTV image of a person they wanted to speak to in connection with the incident.

They said there was "no immediate threat" as the gun was thought to be plastic.

A force spokesman added: We were called to a report of a man carrying a firearm in Lambsquay Road in Coleford shortly before midday.

"Officers attended and the police helicopter was used to search for the man, who was described as white, around 18 years old, with shaved blonde hair.

"He was wearing black jeans, a hoodie and a backpack. The man hasn’t been located despite a thorough search of the area but officers are continuing to pursue several lines of enquiries to identify and trace him."

Forest officers have now confirmed that an 18-year-old subsequently attended Coleford Police Station over the weekend and handed in a plastic gun.

A statement on Sunday said: "Yesterday we issued a CCTV appeal in connection with an incident in Coleford on Friday where a man was reported to be carrying a firearm.

"Since that appeal, a man attended Coleford Police Station and a plastic gun has been handed in to us. Thank you for sharing our appeal." Asked by the Review if there would be any further action over the incident, a Gloucestershire Police spokeswoman said: "No one has been charged with an offence - it doesn’t seem as though he was committing one."A Facebook post by a local woman described the incident as "a simple mistake".

The teen had playing in the woods with a BB airsoft gun with his girlfriend’s little brother, and had then gone to a shop with the plastic gun stuffed in a pocket "without thinking", she claimed.