A teenager was handcuffed in a busy shopping centre after a member of the public reported him holding a knife - which was actually his comb.

Reece Mercer, 18, was handing out CVs when he was reported for "waving a large knife", but was in fact combing his hair with a pick.

The black teen had just left River Island in Centre Court Shopping Centre, Wimbledon, when security guards started following him.

He went into the O2 shop in The Broadway on Saturday (February 4) and sat down to speak to a member of staff when the police arrived and handcuffed him.

Shocked dad, Brian Mercer, was disgusted by the incident, and says members of the public need to think before they jump to conclusions.

Brian, 51, said: "He was giving out CVs and got his hair pick out to smarten up before going into a shop, he wanted to give a good impression.

"But someone reported him for carrying what they said was a 'large' knife.

"He was sitting down chatting to a member of staff when the police came in, put him in handcuffs and searched him.

"The police conducted themselves very well, they were very professional, but people need to look properly before they report things.

"The person who reported him obviously had a pre-conceived idea of black teens but he doesn't look like a street boy."

Brian says the police showed him and wife Michelle, 46, the report they had received, in which the member of the public said it was "definitely a large knife".

The angry father-of-two, who works as a senior build surveyor for Surrey County Council, added: "The police conducted themselves fantastically, they didn't man-handle him or anything like that.

"I'm just angry, my son has gone out to get a job and gets stopped, it's put him off carrying his comb.

"I think they jumped to a conclusion quickly because of the colour of his skin, and I was so angry that people have this preconceived idea.

"He's a respectable boy and he's shocked - he's never experienced anything like that."

Brian says wife Michelle, 46, who works as a project officer for G4S, has been left disappointed by the incident.

He says the family have never experienced any racism, and have been left shocked.

Brian said: "Reece has just turned 18 but is very slight, he really doesn't look threatening or intimidating.

"My son doesn't want to take his comb out with him now, it's so sad.

"He was very shaken the next day and now feels like he has to be more aware of himself, he's shocked.

"He's a confident young boy but he doesn't want to go into River Island now.

"I'm telling him it's not to do with his colour, but he thinks it is.

"I don't want him to believe we live in a society like that.

"We're a very multicultural, diverse family, and it's the first time he's thinking 'they picked on me because I'm black', or that someone has naturally assumed he's a 'bad boy'.

"He asked me if they would have done the same if I'd been combing my hair and I didn't know what to say."

A Met Police spokesman said: "Police were called to Centre Court Shopping Centre in Queen's Road, Wimbledon SW19 at 15.15hrs on Saturday, 4 February following reports of a man seen carrying a knife.

"Officers attended and searched a male. No knife was found.

"No arrests were made."