ARMED police swooped on a vehicle carrying four people during the evening on one of Bournemouth's busiest streets after reports a firearm had been seen.

Traffic on Holdenhurst Road ground to a halt on Wednesday after police in marked and unmarked cars arrived on the scene.

A man who witnessed the incident said: "There were four men inside the vehicle and all the police were armed and weapons were drawn and pointed. There were a few marked cars and three or four unmarked cars."

Other witnesses snapped dramatic images of young men standing against a wall as officers searched them.

Dorset Police said: "We were called at 7.51pm on Wednesday July17 to a report of two vehicles acting suspiciously on Portman Crescent in Bournemouth. It was reported that a gun was put into the boot of one of the vehicles.

"Firearms officers searched the area and located one of the vehicles suspected to be involved on Holdenhurst Road. A second vehicle suspected to be involved was later located in Hampshire and also searched.

"No weapon was found. Four men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were initially arrested but de-arrested at the scene."