• THE police certainly seemed to over-react, but the toy gun looked real, and might have been used at any moment, (Met Police is accused of ‘lack of empathy’ over its response to armed arrest of boy with toy gun, July 30).

What is the purpose of giving such a vicious, realistic-looking, gun to a young boy? Is he supposed to treat it like a ball or a doll?

I cannot see the point of giving young children toys that imitate killing machines. How could the police have known it was a toy?

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