A TRAINING exercise saw plain clothes police officers armed with automatic rifles ambush a car and make ‘arrests’ outside the city racecourse.

Around 10 West Mercia Police officers, arriving in unmarked cars, were heard “shouting and screaming” in a realistic roleplay session in the carpark in Grand Stand Road.

Eyewitness Ilene Ramsay described the incident as an “ambush” in which two ‘criminals’ were wrestled to the ground and then ‘arrested’ on Thursday afternoon (March 21).

“They were really shouting and screaming at each other and pointing the guns at one guy and he had to fall onto the ground, then they grabbed him,” said the 45-year-old University of Worcester student.

The incident, which Ms Ramsay said those involved confirmed was a training drill, lasted an estimated 30 minutes and was over by around 1pm.

“The car drove in and they all ran straight to the car, like an ambush. It was like it was real,” the student added.