A British couple who threw a Wild West fancy dress party to celebrate renewing their wedding vows were stunned when armed police officers showed up.
Roy and Val Worthington warned their local force in Leicestershire, central England, that they and around 80 of their friends would be sporting Stetson hats and toy guns for the occasion.
But several police cars carrying armed officers in flak jackets and a helicopter still turned up at the Moira Arms pub in Castle Donington as the party was in full swing on Saturday night.
'Somebody had phoned up (the police) and said there was a man walking around Donington with guns,' Val Worthington said.
'I suppose they were right to have responded but it was a little bit over the top.'
Leicestershire Police defended its actions, saying it had to treat all reports of firearms as genuine.
'People need to remember that it is an offence to carry a gun, whether real or imitation, in a public place and should bear this in mind when attending fancy dress parties,' a spokesman said.
'It can cause real distress to those who witness it and may result in arrests or charges.'
Handguns have been banned in Britain since 1997.
