ARMED police were spotted swarming around a man who was reportedly in possession of a handgun.

The county force was alerted to reports of a man with a handgun in Bournemouth on Tuesday, May 28.

Once multiple police vehicles and armed response units arrived, the man was detained for a search.

Officers discovered he had a lighter and could then confirm that there was no handgun.

A Dorset Police spokesperson said: “We received a report at 2.23pm on Tuesday 28 May 2024 of a man possibly in possession of a handgun in Horseshoe Common in Bournemouth. There were no reports of any threats made.

“Officers attended and carried out searches of the area. A man was stopped and detained for a search and was found to be in possession of a lighter, which matched the description given.

“While the report was made in good faith, it was a false alarm and there was no handgun.”