A TEENAGE boy has been taken to court after her won a £1 toy gun at a fair.

Rory Casey was arrested by police after he pointed the cheap plastic gun, which he won at the Hoppings Fair, in Newcastle, at a block of flats.

The 13-year-old was walking through the Shieldfield area of the city when he was seen by security camera operators, who called armed officers to the scene.

On Friday, Rory, who lives in Shieldfield, was given an absolute discharge at Gosforth Youth Court.

His mother, Philippa, said: "The gun was so obviously a plastic toy. There is no way it could possibly do any damage. The police were so heavy-handed."

Rory, now 14, pleaded guilty to a public order offence of using behaviour likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress, and was given the absolute discharge after the charge was amended when magistrates heard he had not intended to cause distress.

After the case a police spokesman said: "We will always provide an armed response to incidents where there are reports or sightings of a firearm being used."