'Concern' over game gun prize

The gun is to be awarded to over-18s only

A police association has expressed "concern" that a computer game contest is giving away a deactivated AK47 gun as a national tournament prize.

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers told BBC News Online that although they were worried that such a prize was being given, it was not illegal.

However they are currently in discussion with the Home Office following worries about replica guns, which can be mistaken for real firearms.

The UK and Ireland National Local Area Network (LAN) Tour 2001 is giving away the gun as one of four prizes, including a PC from Virgin Interactive and £5,000.

National competitions

The UK and Ireland LAN Tour is managed and promoted by Explorers a gaming centre in High Wycombe town centre, Buckinghamshire.

It is holding competitions around the UK from 27 July onwards, building up to a grand final in London.

Competitors will play four games - Counter Strike, Quake, Unreal and Codename Outbreak - which involve players hunting and shooting at each other in a virtual world.

The gun is currently described on the tournament's website as "a real AK47 which has been deactivated - and it looks and feels sweeeeet - everyone wants it!"

Apology

Virgin said they were not in a position to comment on the gun, adding their only involvement was with their particular game.

Ian Snowball, who owns the business organising the tournament told BBC News Online: "We do not condone or advocate the use of violence in any way shape or form outside the virtual world of computer gaming.

"We apologise unreservedly for any inconvenience or concern the offering of the AK47 as a prize may have brought or howsoever caused."

He gave his assurance that "if there is a public condemnation of our actions we will withdraw the offer of the prize with immediate effect and substitute it with an appropriate prize of a similar worth".

'Top gun'

He told BBC News Online that the prize would not be given to anyone under the age of 18. He added that a logo on a photograph of the gun on the tournament website reading "UKIL" would be removed.

The gun was announced as a prize on Wednesday on the tournament's website.

It will be given to the "Top Gun" award for the person with the "highest number of kills" in the Counter Strike Tournament, according to its website.

Replica worry

The move follows a warning on Monday that Cornwall Police are concerned that armed officers will mistakenly shoot someone who is brandishing ball-bearing, or replica guns.

During the latest case a 34-year-old man was allegedly shot in the eye with a ball bearing gun (BB gun), in a drive-by incident.

The man from Newquay was sitting in his car when he was hit with a pellet, leaving him with a bruised eyeball.

It follows a spate of recent cases, including one alleged shooting by a six-year-old boy.

Mr Snowball added that the gun had been rendered "inoperable in accordance with existing legislation, to such an extent that it could never be realistically returned to an operating mechanism".

He said the AK47 was being given away as a prize of interest "only as a collectable curiosity piece," and said it would "only be released to a responsible adult".