A 28-year-old mechanic was apprehended at gunpoint by British police after an anonymous tipster mistook the man's MP3 player for a gun.

Darren Nixon said three police cars tailed the bus he was riding in while he was on his way home from work.

Around 150 meters from his home, the police officers got out of their car and confronted him with their guns poked at him, ordering him to hold his hands in the air.

According to the police, an unidentified passenger on the same bus Nixon was riding gave them the tip after seeing Nixon change tracks on his MP3 player, mistaking the gadget for a gun.

Nixon was later released, after being fingerprinted.