Man dressed as Star Wars Stormtrooper prompts lock down in Kansas

Police were called to reports that a man armed with a weapon was patrolling a street in Salina

A man dressed as a Star Wars storm trooper prompted a lock down in Salina, Kansas on Tuesday, local media has reported.

A man dressed as a Star Wars Stormtrooper prompted the lock down of a local business in Salina, Kansas, amid fears he was armed and dangerous.

Officers in the city of Salina were called to respond to reports of an armed man patrolling the streets from nearby business Action Travel, after a customer saw what they believed to be a man carrying a weapon at 1pm on Thursday.

Police advised the owner to lock up the business while a team responded, local media has reported.

Action Travel employee Janelle Snyder told KWCH12 they made the call as a precaution, "due to the stuff that's happened out in Colorado at the theatre and just weird stuff".

She added: "If he wouldn't have had the gun, we wouldn't have thought about it."

Police said the man, Chris Burns, was dressed up as a Stormtrooper and carrying a plastic prop gun for a video he and his friend were making. The pair had been taking a break from shooting the video for his Vine account 'Stormtrooper Sam' when he was seen walking down the street.

He told the New York Daily News: "I was pretty surprised. I think the Stormtrooper (costume) is pretty well-known. … Obviously it was just for fun."

Mr Burns said the ‘gun’ was a replica storm trooper blaster purchased online. He has big hopes his Vine account, adding: "I was thinking it would be cool to have Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford on my Vine."