THESE are the two fun-loving girls who sparked an armed police swoop in a supermarket car park.

Chums Holly Spedding (right) and Fatima Rupp had been to a fancy dress party and were having a laugh with drivers on the M62.

But an off-duty policeman didn't see the funny side and thought a toy gun the girls had was real as it was silver with a black handle.

It led to armed officers following their Fiat Punto until the worried 19-year-olds realised something was wrong.

They left the motorway at junction 25, near Brighouse, and stopped in the Tesco car park in mid-afternoon.

Armed officers then pounced and arrested the girls in front of shocked shoppers as the police helicopter hovered overhead.

Fatima was later given a police caution after the pair were questioned.

The students live in Harrogate and had been to a fancy dress party at Chester University.

Fatima said it all began as fun on the motorway as they headed back into West Yorkshire from Greater Manchester after lorry drivers spotted her cowboy hat.

She said: "The lorry drivers were pretending to shoot me with their fingers, so I pointed the toy gun back at them.

"Everyone was laughing. Some were even pretending to die and shouting `bang bang' at us."

But once the girls were in West Yorkshire they realised several police vehicles were close behind.

Fatima added: "I thought they were taking a terrorist to court or something. But when we changed lanes so did they and we started to get worried.

"As we left the motorway they all followed. I was trying not to look back. We chose Tesco's car park because there were lots of people around and we thought that if the police were armed they might be a bit more careful with all the public there.

"We were petrified when we stopped and they came screeching up and surrounded us. I completely froze and was too scared to move an inch in case they shot me. I had a gun pointing in my face.

"Half the car park was full of policemen and I just kept saying sorry and that the gun was a toy."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "While this was ultimately not a serious incident when the police receive reports of guns being pointed at people we have a duty of care to the public and our officers to take firm action. That means responding with armed officers.

"Imitation weapons are difficult to distinguish from the real thing, especially at a distance.

"So the message is clear; to avoid being faced with the real thing don't mess about with imitation weapons in public."