THIS is thought to be the moment a 42-year-old man was arrested following a dramatic hunt through Worcester involving armed police on Tuesday afternoon.

Officers were called to the Cross at about 4.20pm following reports a man was in the city centre with a concealed weapon. Onlookers reported a large number of armed officers with dogs were seen going into businesses in the area before moving through Aboretum and in to Rainbow Hill.

Following a search involving a helicopter, a Worcester man was arrested in Rainbow Hill.

In a statement issued yesterday morning, a police spokesman said: “Following the firearms response to the incident in Rainbow Hill yesterday an investigation continues, although a firearm has yet to be recovered.”

The man was released without charge yesterday afternoon and was passed to the Kent Police, who also want to speak to him in connection with offences committed in their area.

Speaking on Tuesday evening Chief Inspector Adam Thomas said: “We take the public’s safety very seriously and our focus throughout was to ensure the safety of the people of Worcester.

“We are pleased that we were able to resolve the incident peacefully and that no one was harmed.

“We understand that seeing armed officers can be alarming to the community but we hope the public recognise that protecting them public from harm remains at the heart of all we do.

“We understand that seeing armed officers can be alarming to the community but we hope the public recognise that protecting the public from harm remains at the heart of all we do.”