This is the shocking moment a masked chef with a ‘grudge’ bursts into a fine dining restaurant brandishing a BB gun.

Lee Broll, 27, was filmed on CCTV running into restaurant AO in Southampton, Hampshire, on its opening night on December 1 last year.

He pushed plates over and pointed his weapon at terrified diners who thought it was a real gun.

Broll also struck a man over the head during a scuffle, before walking out of the restaurant.

But he was pursued by two staff members who pinned him down until police arrived to arrest him.

In a statement, one witness said she wanted to run away but couldn’t because Broll was blocking the exit.

‘It was incredibly frightening. I was frozen in fear,’ she said.

The BB gun that was used by Lee Broll to scare customers (Picture: Solent News)

A court heard Broll had a grudge against the restaurant, which charges £85 for eight courses, after his job offer was withdrawn.

He avoided jail with an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to assault and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause alarm.

He was also given a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid wor

Certain BB guns can be considered actual firearms if they are too powerful to be classed as toys.

Possessing, purchasing or acquiring one of these, without holding a valid firearms certificate, is an offence.

However, displaying a BB gun which looks like a real firearm in a public place will amount to an offence of possession of an imitation firearm, regardless of the power of the gun itself.

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The chef pushed plates over and pointed his weapon at terrified diners who thought it was a real gun.