Kiwis arrested for Oz 'cops and robbers' antics

File photo / Sarah Ivey

Two men who were playing cops and robbers with a toy gun in the front yard of their Gold Coast home have been arrested after a raid by armed police wearing bullet-proof jackets.

A driver called police after seeing a man wearing a balaclava and carrying what appeared to be a shotgun outside a home in suburban Ashmore.

Police wearing kevlar vests converged on the busy street, and a short time later they arrested two New Zealand men aged 19 and 20 and seized a toy shotgun and a balaclava.

A neighbour who was working in his garden at the time told reporters he saw the two playing in their front yard and while he thought their antics were "a bit different" he didn't call police.

Another neighbour, Willie Isaac, said he and his wife Apii weren't sure what was happening.

"I saw this young fella jump out of this car with a balaclava and a gun, and I didn't know if it was a toy gun or a real gun," he told reporters.

"Even though it's a practical joke, it's a little bit scary, too," Mrs Isaac said.

Acting Senior Sergeant Brendan Wiblen said the young men had no idea of the alarm they were causing.

"They were in possession of a plastic toy shotgun and they were playing a game between themselves, not aware of what the community concern may be," he said.

The men are likely to be charged with causing a public nuisance.

- AAP