A former military man was detained by police at gunpoint in an alleyway this afternoon after an allegation was made that he was in possession of a firearm.
Armed officers kitted up at Gablecross Police Station before racing across Swindon in their deployment to a property in Ferndale Road, near Whitehouse Road.
Five marked and unmarked BMW X5s (Armed Response Vehicles) arrived at the address at around 5.15pm, entering a house from the front and via the alleyway behind the building.
On arriving in the alleyway, officers spotted their suspect – leaping from their cars and pointing firearms at the man. Cooperating, he was held a gunpoint on the floor before being handcuffed.
The house and garage were searched for weapons but nothing untoward was found. He was taken away from the scene in a police van but was returned to home 20 minutes later.
Talking to Wiltshire 999s following the incident, the man who didn’t want to be named, said that his former landlord called the police claiming he had a rifle over a dispute about £250 owed to him.
