Firearms police raid Sam Taylor-Johnson's London home after passer-by spots MACHINE GUN

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Police raided £15.5m home Sam Taylor-Johnson shares with husband Aaron
Pedestrian had spotted rifle on desk in a front room of north London house
Officers gained entry shortly before midnight as the couple were out
The gun, given as a gift, was a certified deactivated M16 assault rifle
The couple, who have two daughters, were believed to be out of the country

Published: 09:51 EST, 29 August 2014 | Updated: 13:03 EST, 29 August 2014

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Firearms police raided the home of Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson after a passer-by spotted a machine gun through the window last night.

The weapon, a deactivated M16 assault rifle, had been given to the film-maker and photographer as part of an art project entitled Peace One Day M16.

But a pedestrian - allegedly an ex-Iranian soldier - walking past the £15.5 million home she shares with her husband, the actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, spotted it on a desk and called 999.

Shock raid: Armed police raided the £15.5 million home Sam Taylor-Johnson shares with her husband Aaron in north London, after a passer-by spotted the deactivated rifle (right) on a desk through the window

Shocked neighbours in leafy north London watched as dozens of armed officers entered the house shortly before midnight.

Witness Phil Cowan told the Ham & High he was bundled into the back of a police van as a precaution while the team carried out their raid.

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The couple were out of the country.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed officers from the firearms unit were called after the gun was spotted through a window of the north London house shortly before midnight last night.

Mrs Taylor-Johnson, 47, who is currently working on the film version of the erotic best-seller, met her actor husband Aaron, 23, when he played John Lennon in her Beatles biopic Nowhere Boy.

They have two daughters - Wylda Rae, four, and Romy Hero, two - as well as Angelica, 16, and Jessie Phoenix, eight, from Mrs Taylor-Johnson's first marriage.

Artwork: The gun was given to Mrs Taylor-Johnson after she contributed to a charity anti-arms exhibition

Peace One Day, founded in 1999, attempts to use culture, sport and education to impose a day of non violence across the world on September 21 every year.

The UN-backed initiative enlisted Sam Taylor-Johnson as well as Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas to create their own versions of an AK-47 for an exhibition in 2012.

A spokeswoman for the couple said: 'We can confirm that early this morning police were called to the London home of Mr and Mrs Taylor-Johnson following a report of a firearm on the premises by a concerned passer-by.

'The family were not present in the property at the time but the police gained entry via a key holder.

'The firearm was located in Sam Taylor-Johnson's basement studio and has been confirmed as a certified and fully decommissioned M16 assault rifle that was provided to Mrs Taylor-Johnson by the international charity Peace One Day as part of an art project entitled 'Peace One Day M16'.

'The project, curated by Jake Chapman, consists of new works by some of the most celebrated names in contemporary art all of whom are transforming fully decommissioned M16 assault rifles.'

No arrests have been made.