Man carrying gun on Christchurch street sparks panic

Police were called and armed officers turned up to intercept the man - who turned out to be on his way to sell the firearm. Photo / File

A Christchurch man carrying a gun down the street in the middle of the day sparked a panic for a concerned witness.

Police were called and armed officers turned up to intercept the man - who turned out to be on his way to sell the firearm.

The incident happened about 1.40pm on Friday, as the man strolled along Memorial Ave in Ilam carrying a firearm case.

When armed police caught up with the man on Memorial Ave, they discovered the situation was innocent and the man was "in the process of selling" his gun.

Video footage has emerged showing the man lying on the footpath, with officers approaching.

"Police want to encourage people not to carry firearms in public in this manner - if possible we do encourage people to carry them in a case in the boot of a car," a police statement says.

"The man was shortly released without charge and given a lift to his destination. Police would like to thank members of the Ilam community for being vigilant."