An arsenal of weapons including NINE imitation guns, a crossbow and an axe have been recovered by police following an incident in Tameside last night (Sunday).
Police say they were called at around 8.30pm to reports of a 'man armed with a knife' on Mossley Road in Ashton-under-Lyne.
As officers were responding to the incident, they received 'further intelligence' that the man was brandishing a firearm.
Specialist armed officers were also scrambled to the scene and three men aged 50,43 and 26 were arrested on suspicion of firearms offences.
They all remain in custody for questioning, police said.
Six suspected guns, which were later confirmed as BB guns, were recovered at the scene.
Following a search at an address in Mossley a further three BB guns, a crossbow and an axe were also recovered, police said.
Inspector Timothy Rudd, of GMP's Tameside district, said: "Whilst we have now confirmed that the firearm was a BB gun, this does not alter how seriously we must take reports of this nature."
"It is completely unacceptable that weapons were being brandished out in the street in this way, and I appreciate that this was an incredibly frightening situation for members of the public who would have been none the wiser as to whether the weapon was a live firearm or not.
"The public should be reassured that armed response officers quickly responded the situation and we were able to recover the weapons and arrest the suspects."
