A MAN who booked in to a Perthshire hotel after a fishing trip but fled after brandishing what appeared to be a pistol following an argument at the bar with two other customers, was fined #500 at Stirling Sheriff Court yesterday.

When John Noble, 44, of Lothian Crescent, Paisley, Renfrewshire, produced the fishing gun at the Clachan Cottage Hotel in Lochearnhead, the barmaid became alarmed and called the police.

He fled the scene but was traced through his car registration, which he had given when booking into the hotel, and was arrested at his Paisley home a few days later.

Depute fiscal Mike McMahon said Noble indicated to one of the men he was arguing with and removed the gun from his waistband and pointed it at him.

''Although the accused was drunk, he was not completely unaware of what was happening and on realising police had been called he left the premises,'' he said.

Police Firearms Officers found that although the weapon looked real, it was ''very far'' from the real thing, and was used for firing small plastic spears, in fishing.

Noble admitted committing a breach of peace by brandishing the imitation semi-automatic pistol and threatening those around him with violence on July 8.

Fining him #500 and confiscating the pistol, Sheriff Kenneth Pritchard told the father of two: ''Pointing an imitation pistol is the height of stupidity - particularly at a time when guns are causing enormous concern, particularly in this area.''