Armed police were called out to reports of a gun-wielding bin man who caused panic on a Raynes Park housing estate.

In what turned out to be a dramatic false alarm, police raced to the Carter’s estate in Hidcote Gardens, at 10.30am on March 10 after a cyclist reported seeing the Merton Council employee waving a handgun in the air and cocking it.

But the seemingly deadly weapon turned out to be little more than a toy gun that the binman said he was dropping off to a friend nearby.

Kevin Whincup, 33, who reported the incident to police, said: "I was in disbelief really. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing at first and I was shaking.

"My first thought was to get away from the area and call the police.

"The police dispatched a unit straight away then I had a call from one of the officers in charge who asked me to meet them at a rendezvous point.

"I went there and was asked again by the officers what I had seen."

Police units from Wimbledon, Kingston and Mitcham raced to the scene rendezvousing at a nearby Krispy Creme where they waited for armed units to arrive before entering the area.

Based on Mr Whincup’s description, police officers were quickly able to identify the suspected gun man and recovered the imitation firearm gun in just over 40 minutes.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "It was a good faith report of a man supposedly in possession of a firearm.

"We attended and spoke to the man who said it was a toy gun he was taking to a friend’s address. The suggestion was that he was a council worker.

"We were thankful that it turned out to be a false alarm."

Mr Whincup added: "He was in work uniform and it should have been in a box or something. He held it up and cocked it on the street.

"There are always children about on the estate. It’s just unprofessional. I have seen it and rang the police and was shocked and scared.

"How many other people would have been? They took it very seriously as I think they should have done."