RECKLESS North-East youngsters who carry handgun-shaped cigarette lighters were warned last night they are risking being killed by police marksmen.

Officers in Hartlepool have seized two cigarette lighters, one designed as a Smith and Wesson revolver and the other a Dirty Harry-style Magnum.

Superintendent Dave Horner, of Hartlepool Police, said if one of the weapons had been pointed at an armed response officer he would have been forced to "act accordingly".

An armed response unit was called in Hartlepool earlier this week when a shopper saw a youth pick up a gun he had dropped and put it in his back pocket.

Armed officers then approached the youths when they reached the town centre and forced them to hand-over the life-like replica Magnum.

Supt Horner said: "This is the second incident in days where cigarette lighters in the form of replica handguns have been found.

"The Smith and Wesson even had its own bullets and looks exactly like a real gun.

"It is incredibly stupid for people to have such things, particularly in the current climate.

"It may be a fashion accessory or a novelty to them, but anybody with them could end up being faced by armed police officers.

"In this case, the officers were dispatched but they didn't have to draw their weapons - but the threat was there.

"It was only the quick thinking of highly trained officers that stopped someone being killed."

Supt Horner added: "A firearms officers said if the replica had been pointed at him he could have thought he was facing an illegal firearm and he would have acted accordingly."

Tough curbs on carrying replica guns and air weapons are planned by Home Secretary David Blunkett.

And police on Teesside are already carrying out checks to see what action can be taken against people selling such items.

But Linda Mitchell, of Sunderland - a member of the Gun Control Network who has been fighting for tougher gun laws since her 12-year-old son was shot in the face with an air-gun in 2001 - said: "We can change as much half-baked legislation as you like, but you have to educate people not to use these things.

"It is a culture thing and unfortunately it is here in the North-East.

"The day will come when an armed police officer will not have the opportunity to be brave and disarm someone. Someone will get killed for a cigarette lighter.