Mum 'traumatised' after armed police called to Cornish beach over black partner's water pistol

A mum has described the "traumatising" experience of armed officers being called to a beach she was on in Cornwall after someone mistook her black partner's water pistol for a gun.

Flo Finch was on holiday with her partner and children on 28 July when she says police with guns "cornered" them on Godrevy Beach.

Devon and Cornwall Police say they were called by another beachgoer who reported there was a man armed with a gun.

Flo, who is originally from Cornwall but was making a trip to the county from her current home in Essex, said she does not blame the police for their response to the call, but described the caller as "outright racist", because her partner Kieran is black.

She claims the caller "jumped to conclusion" because of the colour of his skin.

Posting about the incident on her TikTok, Flo said her family was "triggered" and "traumatised" by the experience.

"Armed police with real life guns came to the beach and cornered us because of a water gun," she said.

"Who on earth owns a bright blue and pink gun and who would be walking around with it on a beach? It’s a water gun. I’m so triggered as well. It’s so traumatising."

Flo added that she doesn't intend to "knock" the police and felt they were "kind" and "empathetic" in how they dealt with the incident.

"But some general public person sat there and called the policed for a water gun just to traumatise our kids and to traumatise me", she said.

“He’s back he’s safe and he’s fine but at the end of the day my kids are sitting there crying saying ‘is he going to killed mummy?'

"There’s no rhyme or reason to it except the fact they saw a black man on the beach in Cornwall and they didn’t like it," she continued.

"The fact the callers are allowing police officers to come fully armed with massive loaded guns on a beach with kids is inexcusable.

"It was outright racism and it breaks my heart", she said.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they attended the scene as "high priority", however, they said the man explained to officers that he had been using a water pistol rather than a gun on the beach.

A spokesperson from the force said: "We received a call on Saturday 29 July afternoon from a holidaymaker not from the area, stating they had seen a man armed with a gun on the Godrevy Beach.

"This matter was assessed and a response unit was sent to the area as high priority.

"The man was located and he explained to officers that it was a water pistol which was in his car.

"Officers verified this and the matter closed."