A 26 year old Dunedin man was arrested yesterday for unlawfully carrying a firearm shortly after 1pm, after a concerned member of the public contacted police.

The man was witnessed firing shots into bushes near the corner of Helena Street and Hillside road.

When approached by police he claimed that his dog had found the pistol in the bushes, but eventually admitted that it belonged to him.

The man will face the firearm charges in court next week in addition to charges for carrying cannabis utensils.