Firearms officers were deployed following reports of a man dressed in SAS clothing and carrying a rifle and a sword on a street in Chelmsford, Essex. The man later placed the weapons on a table at a coffee shop, sparking a frightened response from the public. After officers detained the suspect, it was discovered that his weapons were imitation and he was in fancy dress costume to attend a Comic-Con event. A police spokesperson later warned people attending costume events to ‘bear in mind how authentic some replica items can appear to the untrained eye’.