Canberrans are being warned against carrying realistic weapon props this Halloween.

ACT Policing Detective Acting Inspector Mark Battye told Rod and Gabi that gel blasters can closely resemble genuine firearms and are illegal to possess in the ACT.

“Anything that looks like a real gun is going to cause alarm,” he said. “If they look real, they shouldn’t have them.”

The warning follows the passage of new ACT firearm prohibition laws, designed to help police prevent high-risk individuals from accessing firearms.