Two NSW police officers have been stood down after a disturbing photo emerged of them appearing to point their guns at each other over social media.

The photo, apparently from social media app BeReal, show one officer holding his weapon to his head while a woman colleague takes aim.

The picture, which was circulating widely on Tuesday, appears to have been shot in a Sydney police station.

It is thought to have come from BeReal, a social media app that encourages users to share unfiltered random snaps of their lives each day. Photos are typically limited to friends and contacts, but settings can also be made public.

The two officers were caught out after their picture was shared from the platform. It revealed the apparent misuse of their weapons while the officers were at work and in uniform.

In it, the woman officer can be seen smiling as she aims her weapon at the male office. He points his gun at himself.

NSW Police confirmed an internal investigation had been launched after the post began circulating widely online. The officers had been identified and their firearms “secured”, a spokeswoman said.

“Both officers, who are attached to a Police Area Command within South-West Metropolitan Region, have been placed on administrative duties,” she said.

Under NSW Police’s social media guidelines, employees must “not post any material that may bring the NSW Police Force into disrepute, or otherwise embarrass the agency”.

“It is strongly recommended that police employees … not directly or indirectly identify themselves or their colleagues as NSW Police Force employees, when personally using social media,” the guidelines say.