FRIGHTENED people in an Oldbury street dived into a shop to escape a man wielding what they feared was a gun, a court heard.

Kirk Ford pointed the weapon at a man who had narrowly avoided being run down by a car driven by one of his friends following a disagreement.

David Bennett, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court the weapon brandished by Ford in Hartlebury Road was a toy gun but people near the scene feared it was real.

Ford, aged 22, of Remembrance Road, Wednesbury, admitted possessing an imitation firearm and was jailed for nine months.

He told police the toy had been on the back seat of the car and it belonged to one of the driver's children.

Ford had jumped out of the car and pointed the gun at the man after the driver had narrowly missed knocking him over.

Oliver Woolhouse, for Ford, said it was his intention to simply scare the other man.

"He acknowledges he showed a complete lack of judgement," he added.