STUDENTS filming a comedy documentary using a fake gun which sparked an armed police swoop have apologised for their actions.

The three were shooting near flats at Thornbank North, off Fern Road, Deane, when a neighbour spotted the BB firearm they were using and called 999.

Peshko Rahim, aged 23, and Nicolay Armando, aged 22, and a third friend acting as cameraman found themselves in hot water as specialist officers turned up to investigate.

The students, all in the first year of their media production degrees at the University of Bolton, have now said sorry and asked to be forgiven.

Mr Rahim, of Pendlebury, said: "It was our fault. We want to send our apologies to the police, to the university and to the people of Bolton. If we put you in danger or fear, we're sorry. Because of the world we live in, people are on edge and if they see a person with a gun they call the police.

"I'm actually glad they phoned the police because it shows how much people care about each other and want to keep their community safe."

The group had decided to film a series of comedy shorts about a character called Papi. They took the idea from a joke told by the late US stand-up comedian Rasheed Thurmond.

They took an iPhone mounted on a tripod to film the first episode – about Papi's nonchalance in the face of an armed robber – in and around the Thornbank estate last Wednesday.

Mr Rahim, who played Papi and took along the BB gun he had had since a child, said: "Lots of people came and asked us what we were doing. We told them we're working on a film and they were really supportive and said: 'You're doing a good job.' When the police came we were on a five minute break.

"We had never been in a situation like this before and we thought 'What's going on?' and we soon realised we had made a mistake. They asked us who we were and other questions.They were armed but didn't get any guns out.

"They examined our camera and the gun and checked the footage and they laughed quite a bit. They quickly realised we were innocent. They were very professional and gave us advice."

The armed officers asked the students not to use the BB gun again that day and put it in the boot of Mr Rashid's car but the trio had enough footage in the bag to be able to complete their shoot without it.

Hours of recordings will be edited down into a comedy short lasting just a few minutes.

Mr Armando, who comes from Portugal and lives in Bolton, said: "It's the first time we have filmed with weapons. The university didn't know anything about it. We had only created Papi three days before and we didn't have time to discuss it with our tutors. We did do a risk assessment but didn't show our teachers."

Despite the mishap, the friends are seeking funding to further develop their Papi comedy sketches and want to collaborate with other Boltonians interested in film-making.

Mr Armando said: "It didn't put us off. We realised we love the idea, and the project, and we're going to keep moving on. We want to bring the character of Papi to Bolton."

Anyone with an interest in joining or funding the Papi project should e-mail filmworkbolton@yahoo.com