PUPILS reeled in horror at footage shown in an armed police roadshow about the dangers of carrying knives and guns.

The Armed Response Group has begun to link up with secondary schools in a bid to bust the myths and mystique around weapons, and yesterday saw them visit Highworth Warneford School.

So far they have spoken to more than 2,500 pupils in schools across the county using the Firearms and Knife Education (FAKE) presentation, created and developed by Hampshire Police in 2007.

Presented by PC Shaun Dodson, of the ARG, the show included videos made by Trident, the Metropolitan Police anti-gun unit, and reconstructions of actual incidents such as three teens playing with BB guns in a park late at night.

When asked who knew someone who owned an imitation firearm, such as a BB gun, the majority of the 30 pupils raised their hands, while only a few dropped when asked if they had ever taken one out in public.

One pupil, Kalam, said: “I found it hard to tell the difference between the real gun and the fake one.

“I have taken one out with friends in the woods before and never thought about the consequences if someone thought we had a real gun and called the police.

“I did see them as a toy but I would think twice now.”

Classmate Josh said: “It was really interesting – I thought you could only get a caution but now I know you can go to prison for carrying one in public.

“The fake one looked pretty realistic and I wouldn’t know the difference.”

Fiona Stanley, head of PSHE at the school, said: “We were just keen for the kids to be aware of the potential dangers and to reduce any risk to their safety.

“We have good links with Wiltshire Police and we were keen for them to come in and present to the kids.”

PC Dodson said: “I think they seemed to enjoy it and found it interesting. The video clips are always impactive and get them thinking.”