A Dundee pensioner has been left angered after armed police officers burst into his property in search of firearms before leaving with a BB gun.
Bruce Usher was returning to his Abbotsford Place address on Friday morning after doing some shopping when he found his street awash with police.
Police Scotland confirmed the operation had been pre-planned as they closed the street and asked neighbouring residents to stay inside their homes.
The 66-year-old said he had missed the initial furore before being told by residents the armed police had been on the scene.
He added: “I’d been away to get some shopping.
“When I came back I went into the block at about 10.25am and climbed the stairs and there were seven police officers searching my home.
“The officer told me they were executing a warrant at my address and all they’d found was a BB gun.
“Honestly from what the neighbour had told me and the volume of police in my house you’d think I was Pablo Escobar.
“What have they gone away with? A BB gun and some pellets which are about the size of a drawing pin.”
In Scotland it is legal for adults to own BB guns but a licence may be required depending on the energy of the discharge.
Bruce believes some maintenance work done recently at his address may have led to the police receiving a tip-off about the BB gun.
‘Overkill’
Bruce added: “I had some work done on the boiler and I can only assume that the concern has arisen from there.
“When I came back the police were in my house for about 40 minutes as they explained they had to conclude the search.
“There was a few expletives at that point from me – especially when they’d told me all they’d found was a BB gun.
“I went for a cigar to calm down and they asked me if there was ‘anything else dangerous in the property?’ I explained there was some bleach in the house.”
Bruce said the whole episode had been total “overkill”.
He added: “The police have taken the BB gun and the pellets and they also searched my car.
“Neighbour looking on must have been thinking what’s he involved in? Thinking I was a criminal when in reality I had a BB gun.
“The whole thing has been total overkill.”
A spokesman for the force confirmed officers found no evidence of criminal activity in the search.
He added: “Officers executed a warrant at an address on Abbotsford Place in Dundee during the morning of Friday March 26 during a pre-planned operation..
“Items were recovered, however on completion of further investigation no criminality was discovered and as such no arrests have been made.
“There was no risk to the wider public at any time.”