Newcastle United's Bosnian full-back Amar Dedic reportedly found himself at the centre of a major police response after he was spotted carrying a bow and arrows in the countryside.
Police units were dispatched to Harrow Hill, Northumberland, on Wednesday after a member of the public reported seeing two men with the weapon a few miles outside Newcastle.
Officers swooped on Dedic, 24, and a friend, stopping and searching their vehicle, in an incident first reported in the Daily Mail.
Northumbria Police said after investigating that there was no threat to the public and the bow and arrow were "for recreational use".
"Shortly after 1.55pm (on Wednesday), we received a report of two men carrying a bow and arrows while walking along a track by the reservoir on Military Road in the Harlow Hill area," a Northumbria Police spokesperson said.
"Officers attended and subsequently stopped a vehicle in the Darras Hall area and seized a bow and arrows.
"At this stage, it is understood they were for recreational use and there was no threat to the public.
"Inquiries are ongoing."
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Hunting animals using a bow, crossbow, or similar weapons is strictly illegal in the UK.
However, it is not illegal to own a bow and arrow or to use one for recreational practice.
Dedic signed a five-year deal with Newcastle United in August, after stints playing for Portuguese club Benfica and Austrian teams Liefering and Red Bull Salzburg.
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