Armed police descend on Dickson Road in Blackpool after man spotted carrying crossbow

The police activity was reported on Dickson Road near Gynn Square roundabout at around 2.30pm on Friday (May 26).

Pictures from the scene show a number of marked and unmarked police vehicles attended the incident, blocking the road in both directions.

Officers carrying weapons could also be seen in the area as onlookers watched from a distance near the Gynn Pub and Restaurant.

Lancashire Police later confirmed they were called after a concerned member of the public spotted a man carrying a crossbow.

“Officers, including armed officers, have attended and established the man had recently bought the crossbow, which is legal,” a spokesman for the force said.

“He has been given words of advice.”

How are crossbows currently regulated?

The possession of crossbows by adults is not prohibited and crossbow owners do not have to register them.

However, the sale and possession of crossbows to or by children is controlled. There are also several offences related to the misuse of crossbows.

The Crossbows Act 1987 makes it an offence for anyone under 18 to purchase or possess a crossbow and for anyone to sell a crossbow to people under 18.

The police have powers to search people they believe to have unlawful possession of a crossbow.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 effectively bans hunting with crossbows, and the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 prohibits carrying offensive weapons (including crossbows) in public, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.