ARMED police swooped on a busy residential area early today after reports of an incident involving a firearm. They were called at 12.30am to a house in Luton Road, Chatham, where neighbours were awoken by people shouting and fighting.

Police cordoned off all routes leading on to the road from Chatham Hill right up to Luton High Street. Castle Road, Bank Street and alleyways behind the house involved were being patrolled by police cars preventing access around the area.

The incident left nearby neighbours unable to leave their houses and begin their journeys to work. One group of workmen had been waiting since before 7am for their lift, after police stopped them taking their van out of the road.

Another, who lives next door to where the incident took place but did not want to be identified, had to delay leaving for his job in Surrey by nearly an hour after being told by police to stay inside.

A father of two living opposite the property concerned said: "I was woken up by lots of shouting and banging. Then, the police turned up in three or four cars and surrounded the place.

"They all had guns and were going into the house one after the other. They blocked off the whole road before taking a man out of the house in handcuffs."

A police spokesman said: "The incident concluded peacefully at 7.30am this morning. A 25-year-old local man was arrested and is expected to be charged." As police left the area just before 8am, the house was left with a boarded up window and the curtains drawn.

Buses following routes through Luton Road and surrounding areas were forced to take diversions and were running late as a result of the incident.

Despite the earlier incident children were making their way to the two schools in the road, Luton Junior School and Luton Infant School as usual.