Scott Roseau, 19 and Eli Aidoo, 24 were at a party in Poulton Close, Hackney when an argument broke out with a group of youths on 19 May 2002.

During the row shots were fired, although no-one was hurt.

The pair were chased by police and Roseau was seen throwing away an imitation gun that had been converted to fire live ammunition.

A happy occasion on a sunny afternoon soon degenerated into a shoot-out over a relatively minor incident Detective constable Phil Dalton

The men had denied possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, but were convicted and sentenced on Friday.

Roseau, from Daubeney Road, Canning Town, east London, was sentenced to five years' detention and Aidoo, from Meredith Street, Plaistow, east London, was jailed for five years.

The sentences reflect Home Secretary David Blunkett's plans for a five-year minimum jail term for carrying an illegal gun.

Detective constable Phil Dalton of Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime within London's black communities, said he was pleased with the sentences.

He said: "A happy occasion on a sunny afternoon soon degenerated into a shoot-out over a relatively minor incident."