A HUDDERSFIELD police inspector wants parents to confiscate BB guns from their children.
Chief Inspector Jon Carter is worried at the rising number of the replica firearms.
He warned: "These things look so realistic that even our officers who handle weapons on a regular basis cannot tell just by looking.
"Young people who have them will ultimately find themselves in a position facing a police officer who is pointing a gun at them."
BB guns fire plastic pellets but are not illegal as they are said to be incapable of inflicting a penetrating injury.
Their numbers are growing as young people see them as a fashion accessory.
Chief Insp Carter said: "Parents need to ask themselves, `Why does my child have one?'
"They should take possession of it. There is no reason to have it, no reason to keep it."
He said he could not understand why the guns were not banned.
Chief Insp Carter was speaking at a Huddersfield Town Hall meeting about gun crime.
Kirklees councillors who heard his comments said they may protest to ministers over the law on BB guns.
