Police were called to Sittingbourne after a man was seen swinging around what appeared to be a samurai sword.

A dog walker called police to Rectory playing field after he saw flashes of a long blade measuring about 3ft long.

It was being waved around by a man under a tree close to the playing area off Commonwealth Close.

The witness, who did not wish to be named, said: "I called the police, who asked me to wait at a safe distance which I did with the operator on the line.

"When police arrived, he put the sword by the tree and as he was approaching them he appeared to bow to them.

"When police arrived, he put the sword by the tree and as he was approaching them he appeared to bow to them..." - witness

"At this point I was running late and was not needed for a statement so left the area."

But it seems the man's actions, at about 7.10am on Friday, were not as sinister as they first appeared.

Patrols examined the object and found it to be a plastic retractable blade the man was using to practice T'ai Chi, a Chinese martial art consisting of sequences of very slow controlled movements.

Confirming no offences were committed, a police spokesman said: "The man did not approach any member of the public."