A Dundee car trader was forced to contact the police after a crossbow was discovered in the boot of a car.
We Buy Any Car, which operates out of premises on Faraday Street in Dryburgh Industrial Estate, was approached by a man looking to sell a white, 12-plate Ford Fiesta on Saturday morning.
Ashley Campbell, 29, area branch manager for the national company, said a man had come in looking to make a “quick sale” just after 10am.
The manager carried out a 30-minute assessment of the vehicle, during which he discovered a 15-inch crossbow in the boot beside two electric guitars.
It is not illegal to own a crossbow, but the weapon cannot be carried in public and should be stored securely.
Ashley said: “I never felt I was in any danger throughout the process.
“I did take a few steps back when I saw the crossbow in full display in the left-hand side of the boot.
“It was about 15 inches long with a handle and trigger. I didn’t know if it was loaded – I didn’t want to be near it.
“I carried on with the appraisal and the guy told me he was desperate for money.
“He kept scratching and itching – I thought he was maybe on something or had been on something.
“I also noticed he had two mobile phones in the car and possibly a third phone.
“The guy had all the correct paperwork to go along with trying to sell the vehicle and had other identification.
“It wasn’t until he left and I started to think about the fact he told me he was desperate for money and had that crossbow that I started to worry he might do something stupid.”
Ashley, originally from Derbyshire, contacted the police just before midday.
He added: “I would have felt guilty if something happened and I didn’t contact the police.
“I would have expected an object of that nature to have been stored in some sort of packaging and not on full display.
“I contacted 101 and the police came up and took a statement.”
A spokesman for the force said: “Police Scotland was made aware of an incident involving concerns being raised about an item that was seen in a car on Faraday Street, Dundee.
“The matter is being investigated.”