A fake gun scare prompted a police call out to the Wellington suburb of Newtown on Sunday afternoon.

Wellington police have picked up a man suspected of pointing what they now believe is a fake gun at people in Newtown.

A large police presence descended on the suburb on Sunday afternoon amid reports of a gunman.

A caller had reported a man pointed a "glossy silver pistol" at them on Hall St, a police district communications centre spokesman said.

They found a man fitting the description at a nearby school about 4.20pm - but he had what appeared to be an imitation firearm, the spokesman said.