ARMED police surrounded an address in Darwen after reports of a hand gun being brandished.

But Blackburn magistrates heard the "gun" was a toy which Paul Mountain had bought for his six year old son.

And the father of three told the court that he had been shouting and screaming simply because gun carrying police were planning to break into his home where his nine- month-old baby was sleeping.

Mountain, 25, of Garnett Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.

He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months. The court made no order for costs.

Joanne Shahzad, prosecuting, said the officers were responding to a reported firearms incident when Mountain came out of a house and said "What do you lot want?"

The officers did not want to explain the reason for their presence and Mountain was told to be quiet. He began shouting "There's cops everywhere, I've got a baby in the house" and struggled and shouted abuse when officers took hold of him and tried to search him.

Mountain, who was not represented by a solicitor, accepted that he had been shouting and screaming.

"That was because there was a dozen officers with guns going to kick the door in and go into the house where we had a baby," he said. "It was a toy they were looking for. I got it for my six=year-old son."