THREE teenagers have been arrested for taking an imitation gun into school.

Cleveland Police were called to the school in Redcar and Cleveland on Thursday following a report of three teenagers in possession of a firearm.

The officers confirmed it was an imitation pistol and seized it.

Two boys aged 15 and one aged 16 were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and have been released under investigation.

The incident has prompted police to warn young people about the consequences of possessing imitation firearms.

A police spokesperson said: “If you possess or use an imitation firearm to cause fear of violence then you could be risking your life.

"If a firearms team is deployed and they feel that there is a valid threat then you potentially risk being seriously hurt.

"If a firearm is posing a threat to the public it can be impossible to tell if it is an imitation weapon or not from a distance.

“It is extremely irresponsible to possess imitation firearms in a public place, particularly in a school.

"Let this be a warning that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated." He added that as well as causing fear to members of the public, imitation firearm incidents waste valuable time and police resources.