Armed police surrounded a house after a man was reported to be firing a weapon in a garden.

A busy Colchester road was closed off during the incident and neighbours were warned to stay indoors.

Police were called to reports of a man firing a weapon in the garden of a home in Old Heath Road, Colchester.

An armed response unit was sent to the house at about 9am yesterday, and the road was closed off for about an hour.

James Tute, who lives near the property, said: "I saw an armed police officer with a gun and realised they were surrounding a house a few doors along. You don't expect that sort of thing around here."

Another neighbour said her husband headed out of the house at about 9.15am to find an armed officer pointing a gun at him and ordering him to go back inside.

Armed police arrested a 33-year-old man and recovered an air rifle from the scene, but later released him without charge.