A 30-year-old man from Shirley faces jail after threatening neighbours, including a young boy, with an imitation pistol in an argument over parking.

Dele Ajibola, from Chaucer Green, denied a charge of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear but was found guilty of the offence at Croydon Crown Court last Thursday. The married dad-of-two admitted a further count of unlawfully having a CS gas canister.

The court heard Ajibola was asked by his neighbour's son to move his Porsche after he had parked outside her house on May 3.

Nichola Dix told the court her son was verbally abused by Ajibola who then collected a gun from his car shouting: "I'll be watching you."

She said: "I shouted, Call the police', and I told everybody to go indoors. I was terrified. I kept phoning the police to ask where they were."

Ajibola, a programme manager of Lambeth Children's Fund a scheme run by Lambeth Council to keep children out of trouble then drove off in his Porsche.

He denied being abusive to Mrs Dix's son and said he had waved a tape measure at his neighbours, not a gun.

He told the court he only picked up the imitation pistol and canister of CS gas from his brother's home after the argument.

Ajibola, who said his job involved him working with children to keep them out of trouble, was arrested after he drove back to Chaucer Green. The imitation firearm and CS canister were found by police in his car.

Judge Stephen Waller warned Ajibola that a prison sentence was inevitable and remanded him on bail until December 9.

A spokesman for Lambeth Council said: "Mr Ajibola has been suspended from duty whilst the council conducts a thorough investigation."