A GROUP of mums and children revealed how they barricaded themselves in a room after spotting a man brandishing a gun.

Armed police were called to Barrow AFC in Wilkie Road at 8.39pm on Monday night after receiving reports of a man with a gun on the pitch. Roads were cordoned off while officers searched the ground and found the man who was on the pitch with a rifle.

The club and police later confirmed the man had been there to tackle an infestation of wild rabbits but a group taking part in a drama club at the Soccer Bar overlooking the ground had not been told and feared the worst when they spotted the pest controller.

One mum who admonished others for joking about the incident described how "awful it is to hear your child crying" and said: "My daughter and another child and a lady were locked inside the club for two hours scared to death and the way he was dressed is enough to scare an adult let alone a child!"

Another mum said: "Yes there was a drama group on and my step daughter was there absolutely frightened for her life the poor thing."

A spokesman for Barrow AFC said the visit from the pest controller had been scheduled for when they believed no one would be in the building but hadn't taken account of the drama group.

"Barrow AFC have suffered from a pest problem which has caused problems with the pitch over the summer," the spokesman said.

"We reached out to a local individual who deals with these matters. He had all the relevant licenses and permissions and had notified the police of what he would be doing and when.

"We scheduled it for a time when we believed no one would be in the building."