Roland Hopper will never forget his 11th birthday party - after an armed police team arrested him as he cut his cake. Officers stormed the birthday bash and arrested Roland after he was seen playing with his new pellet gun. He had been playing with 12 friends at his home in Red House, Sunderland, as he celebrated his big day. But as he showed off the new pellet gun his mother had bought him, armed police surrounded the house. The quiet street was sealed off as two armed response patrol cars and a riot van surrounded the house. Two officers wearing bulletproof vests stormed in and demanded to know where the weapon was. Mum Andrea Davies, 29, said: "He had all his pals round and was having a brilliant time with them. "It should have been the best day of the year for him, he had been looking forward to it for weeks. "The police burst in just as he was cutting his cake. He had blown out his candles and everyone was standing around waiting to give him three cheers. The two policemen who came in didn't seem to be armed but they said they were with the armed response unit. "I looked outside and the place was crawling with them. I just couldn't take it in. "Instead of getting a round of applause as he cut his cake Roly ended up being walked out of the house in tears by the police in front of all the neighbours. "It was so humiliating for us, I don't know whether Roly will ever be able to forget it. "Birthday parties are so important when you are a kid and you could hardly imagine a worse one. "I could understand the police reaction if someone had been in danger but they weren't. "Roland went into the back yard with a few of his friends to show them his new gun. But someone must have seen them with it and assumed the worst. "They were firing at a target against a shed and were pointing in the opposite direction to the nearest houses. "Then the next thing we know there were two police officers running into the house demanding to know where the weapon was. I was pretty shocked. I just wanted to know what was going on. "We looked out of the window and they were swarming around like storm troopers in bulletproof vests. "I couldn't believe how over-the-top they went. And on top of everything else they confiscated the gun. Roland was in tears." Roland was questioned for two hours in connection with criminal damage after allegations that a pellet hit the window of a neighbouring house. But Andrew denied that any damage had been caused to a neighbour's house, adding that the gun did not have sufficient power or range to cause the breakage complained of. He was bailed to report to police on April 28, and the £39.99 air gun was confiscated. Sgt Paul Henry of Northumbria Police said: "We can confirm that there was a suspected firearms incident on Saturday. "Whenever it is believed that firearms are involved there are certain procedures that must be followed." Roland, a pupil at Hylton Red House Primary, was arrested and taken to a police station. The other youngsters were sent home in tears as the birthday party came to abrupt end. Roland said: "It was the worst birthday party I've ever had." | 
