NORTH Vancouver RCMP are warning the public after an amateur film set drew a large police presence over the weekend.

On October 7 at approximately 5:30 p.m., a security guard called police to report several males wearing body armour and carrying rifles in an underground parking lot in the 1800-block of Marine Dr. North Vancouver.

Numerous officers attended the parking lot only to discover the guns and body armour were replica items and the group was filming an amateur action film.

Police also noted that the group did not obtain necessary permits and did not inform nearby businesses or residents of filming.

“Police take firearms complaints very seriously due to the threat they pose to public and officer safety. We will respond with appropriate resources, tactics, and level of force each time,” said Constable Mansoor Sahak.

“In this instance, we are glad that no one was seriously injured while responding to the potential threat. However, incidents like these have a negative impact on our ability to respond to other real emergencies that are occurring in the city.”

The group was educated on the proper procedure in filming such productions using a public space and were ultimately let go with a warning.