19 June 2026 , 09:54
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Armed police were called to a beach after a man was spotted carrying a rifle during a barbecue with friends.
An angler called police after seeing a group of men on Eastney Beach in Portsmouth, Hants.
Pictures show a man dressed in a white-t shirt gripping the firearm.
The rifle was equipped with a telescopic lens.
Gun cops rushed to the scene and surrounded the men who had set up a camp on the rocks overlooking Langton Harbour on Sunday evening.
They arrested two men and later confirmed the rifle was an air soft weapon.
A witness told The Sun: “We were quite worried. We didn’t know if it was real or not.”
A Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman said: “We were called just before 8:50pm on Sunday 14 June.
“There was a report of a group of men with a weapon on Eastney Beach in Southsea.
“Officers attended and it was established that the weapon was an air soft gun.
“A 24-year-old man from Southampton and a 23-year-old man from Romsey were arrested.
“They were subsequently issued a caution for possession of an air weapon in a public place.”
World Affairs Correspondent