A significant armed police presence has responded to the Queenstown waterfront this afternoon after an umbrella was mistaken for a firearm.

The whole waterfront was cordoned off and police were ushering people out of the Queenstown Gardens.

A police spokesperson initially said they were responding to “a report of a possible sighting of a firearm”.

A later statement said police confirmed it was, in fact, an umbrella, not a firearm.

Armed police responded to the Queenstown waterfront after a possible firearm sighting. Photo / James Allan

People at Queenstown Beach were turned away from the gardens after reports of a firearm sighting. Photo / James Allan

A photographer at the scene said members of the public were being turned away from the Queenstown Gardens.

“There are a lot of armed police all around and the Armed Offenders Squad is on its way.”