A man who prompted an armed police response while taking a walk in a knight fancy dress costume, complete with what appeared to be a sword, said: "I was simply enjoying a walk in my armour."
History-lover Lennon Thomas, 20, was stopped in his tracks by three gun-toting police after families were shocked at what he appeared to be carrying in the park.
Lennon said: "Sorry - it looks like I might have scared a few people around the lake."
Student Lennon pulled on one of his selection of outfits for fantasy role-play games known as Larping - or Live Action Role Play.
The Dungeons and Dragons fan was trying out the new knight's outfit when he was met by three police from the firearms unit as he strolled around Hendre Lake Park in St Mellons, Cardiff.
His halt was caught on camera by a passer-by - as police saw the funny side of his sword-carrying stroll.
Lennon said: "I will admit that I had a lapse in judgement on the sword part, perhaps bringing that wasn't a good idea, however the rest of my outfit was simply me practicing for a hobby of mine.
"I was simply enjoying a walk in my armour and using the time to practice for my hobby, I was trying to get used to wearing the armour as it is slightly physically demanding after a while of wearing it.
"I'm simply enjoying my hobby. Life is a lot more fun when you don't care how weird you are.
"I am no idiot for simply enjoying myself and practicing for my hobby - perhaps it was a little stupid of me to bring the sword as from a distance it does look realistic."
Lennon, who lives less than a mile from the lake, admitted passers-by were alarmed by his outfit - and even more when he was arrested.
He said: "I joked to some passers by who saw the incident that 'if i were in America I would have been shot on sight'.
"I got a good laugh out of it all in the end."
He was confronted at gunpoint at Hendre Lake Park in St Mellons on Wednesday afternoon and told to put down the 'weapon'. But police discovered the sword was fake and a part of the man's costume.
Medical technician Mike James, 31, was walking around the beauty spot with his wife Heather, 32, and son Theo, three, when he saw the knight drama.
Mike said: "The whole thing was really surreal - he looked like something out of Assassin's Creed.
"About five minutes later the armed police turned up, they said they'd had reports of a suspicious-looking person and we knew straight away who they were talking about.
"The armed police were good as gold and even had a picture with him afterwards before letting him go on his way."
A spokeswoman for South Wales Police later said: "At 3.10pm on Wednesday, May 13, South Wales Police received a report from a member of the public that a man was seen at Hendre Lakes in Cardiff with a sword.
"Officers were deployed to the scene where they located a young man who was in fancy dress carrying a toy sword. No criminal offences were committed and the man was given suitable advice."
