An imitation firearm is defined as anything that has the appearance of a firearm whether or not it is capable of discharging a shot or bullet.

The exact number of replica guns in circulation is unknown but it is thought to be more than 500,000. They can be bought over the counter for as little as £65.

In most cases the replica weapons are indistinguishable from genuine firearms by both victims and police officers responding to incidents.

Some criminals choose to use a replica gun rather than a real one, believing that if caught the sentence would be lighter. Criminals may also use replicas because they cannot acquire, or afford, genuine firearms, while replica firearms are readily available as they can be purchased legally. Outside the criminal world they also feature in youth culture as fashion accessories.

In inner city areas the police estimate that 50% of call-outs of armed police result from the sighting of an imitation firearm.

Police say that in 2003 replica firearms have been used in an estimated 60% of robberies and an estimated 80% of all firearm offences.

Whilst the Home Office figures show a 2% rise in overall gun crime there was a 46% rise in the use of replica weapons in violent crime over the last year.

Police found 72% of the firearms seized by the Metropolitan Police under last year's Operation Trident were imitations, air weapons, blank firers or starter pistols that had been converted, modified or upgraded to fire bullets.

Replica guns are especially dangerous, as they do not fire bullets as accurately as normal guns. Unlike normal guns the bullets shatter on impact. Damian Cope died with 189 internal injuries from one bullet from a replica gun.