Charles Pitkeathly was nabbed with the weapon at the Dams, which is a popular walking destination, on August 25, 2013.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard this week that the 50-year-old was at the Dams with two other men at around 7pm on the evening in question.

A dog walker who was heading to the spot to give their pet some exercise spotted Pitkeathly and the others sitting with an air rifle and ammunition.

Margaret McCallum, prosecuting, explained: “They parked the car and started walking with their dog.

“They proceeded to walk along one of the paths into the dams and spotted three persons.

“One of the males sitting on the path was Charles Pitkeathly and he was in possession of an air rifle.

“They initially approached the male and spoke to him, questioning what he was doing.

“One of the other males had a walkie-talkie.” The dog-walker made their way back to their car and called the police, who rushed to the scene.

Due to the layout of the Dams the police thought it would be difficult for a police car to attend.

So a police helicopter was sent out to track Pitkeathly down, while two officers who were out on a cycle patrol in Darnley were called in to investigate on their pushbikes.

When officers tracked Pitkeathly down they found him with his son, Kenneth, and pal Tony Reed, both 25, sitting at a picnic bench.

They had a brown leather case and a green case, both of which contained air rifles.

The guns and pellets were seized by officers and the men were cautioned and charged over possession of the guns.

When they appeared in court this week Charles Pitkeathly admitted breaking the Firearms Act 1968 by being in possession of the rifles in a public place without permission.

Tony Reed, of Rufflees Avenue, and Kenneth Pitkeathly, of Walton Street, had their not guilty pleas accepted.

Frank McAuley, defending, said Pitkeathly had argued that, as the Dams were owned by Scottish Water at the time, he was not in a public place and that’s why he had taken the rifles there.

But the lawyer said that Pitkeathly had accepted that as he was a member of the public who was able to go there it was a public place.

He explained: “It is now a public park - there are areas set aside for public use.” McAuley said that Pitkeathly, a chef with Glasgow City Council, had “learned an extremely serious lesson” and, although he had owned air rifles for years, would no longer be taking anything to do with the weapons.

Sheriff Tom McCartney ordered Pitkeathly to forfeit the weapons and fined him £225, reduced from £250 because he admitted his guilt.