Man dressed as Captain America villain arrested after police mistake his fake weapon for real gun in Canary Wharf

Scene: Police were called to Canary Wharf to reports of a man with gun
EPA
Laura Proto8 November 2015
WEST END FINAL

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A man dressed as a villain from comic series Captain America was mistakenly arrested in Canary Wharf by armed police who thought he had a gun, according to reports.

Police were called to the financial district at 2.15pm on Saturday (November 7) after a passer-by reported seeing a person with a firearm.

Armed officers were scrambled to the scene and a 29-year-old man was arrested at West India Quay station shortly before 3pm on suspicion of possessing a firearm.

But the suspect was later found to have been wrongly held after officers established he was dressed as Marvel comic character The Winter Soldier and was therefore carrying a fake weapon.

A spokesman for the Canary Wharf group tweeted: "Reports of man with firearm at Canary Wharf are incorrect. Man was carrying non lethal Airsoft hobby equipment."

The man was taken to an east London police station and questioned in custody, Scotland Yard said.

A police spokesman said: "No shots were fired. A man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm.

"Enquiries are ongoing to establish what the weapon was."

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