Operation overkill: Armed cops swoop on Action Man looking for a mortar after owner posts picture of TOY weapon on Facebook There were five police officers at the door, two of them carrying submachine guns. And they were ready to smash the door open so it was fortunate Ian Driscoll was in when they pulled up outside his home. They had come in search of a deadly mortar tube - spotted in the background of a picture that Mr Driscoll had posted on Facebook. Mr Driscoll, 43, did indeed have a mortar in the home and promptly showed it to the squad. It was a toy. After inspecting the model mortar, the rather embarrassed team of officers apologised and took their leave. "I couldn't believe someone thought it was real," said Mr Driscoll, a model maker, at his home in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. It's tiny and quite clearly a toy. I think it's hilarious. The mortar, or at least part of it, was featured in a picture Mr Driscoll took of an Action Man figure and a toy Alsatian dog. He posted the picture on Facebook "as a laugh" because he says he looks rather like the Action Man figure and owns an Alsatian. The mortar was near to a TV remote control which showed how small it was. Nevertheless, someone called in the police. He says that the officers did manage to "see the funny side" even though their mission had ended in farce. Mr Driscoll said: "I was stunned. They flashed the search warrant in my face and said it was lucky I was in so they didn't have to break my door down. Everyone has been laughing about it and I think it's funny. Over a month later, there were the cops, threatening to bust down my door. Mr Driscoll posted the picture on December 7 and the police arrived at his home on January 28. Mortars are portable, short-range weapons used to fire shells or bombs at a steep angle to drop them on to enemy lines. Gloucestershire police spokesman Alexa Collicott said: "The information was given to us in good faith and we acted with good intentions. The officers attending were hugely relieved that it wasn't anything more sinister and we would much rather have a result like this than to put the public in harm's way by not taking action.