A football match was abandoned after the referee pulled as angry fans called him a “son of a b***h” in Honduras.

The unnamed match official is claimed to armed himself with a pistol after a controversial decision of a penalty sparked fury during a match in La Jigua, Honduras.

Local reports said the ref brandished the handgun to protect himself from angry supporters at the end of the amateur clash.

Video shows fans surging across the pitch as the referee strolls around the centre circle with a large pistol in his hand.

Fans can be heard shouting and screaming – and what appears to be gunshots are heard in the first few moments of the video.

The referee appears to fire a few shots into the ground in an effort to disperse the crowd who start to scatter.

A relative, according to The Sun, is said to have handed him the weapon at the end of the match as he feared he was going to get beaten up by the fans.

One supporter was overheard insulting the ref by calling him a “son of a b***h” – although he appeared to make a wise decision by staying in the stands.

The match official has not been identified and it is not yet clear if he will face any disciplinary action over his radical decision.