ARMED police dragged a man away from a house at gunpoint during a dramatic raid in a residential street today.

Officers “acting on intelligence” were called to St Cedd’s Church, in Bridgwater Drive, Leigh, at about 10.30pm on Wednesday.

They spent the night and the morning searching the grounds of the building but refused to disclose the nature of the incident.

Just after noon more officers brandishing handguns and a sniper rifle surrounded a house in nearby Treecot Drive.

A man was seen coming out of the property with his hands in the air. He was pulled to the floor and handcuffed.

A woman and three children were then led out of the house.

Police said the man, aged 57, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm.

A resident, who asked not to be named, said: “We heard a lot of shouting and looked out of the window. I came out and there were two police officers with handguns walking towards the house, there were dog units and a lot of cars.

“There was one guy with a sniper rifle standing behind a car. He was aiming at the house.

“An officer shouted at us to get in so that’s what we did.”

Another neighbour described the moment the man was arrested.

She said: “There were a lot of police cars, they blocked off both ends of the street and told us to stay inside. There was a sniper right outside the house and two policemen with pistols went up to the front door.

“Eventually someone came out and he had his hands in the air as if to say ‘I surrender’. He was a big man, chubby.

“The police were pretty rough with him. They dragged him away to the side and handcuffed him, then they put him in a police car.

“The police went in and they sort of led out these people, a woman and three children.”

Officers remained at the house, where an old ice cream van is parked on the drive, during the afternoon. Other officers continued to search the church grounds.

A resident of Mendip Crescent, near the church, said: "There were a few cars and armed police there around 10.30pm last night when I arrived home. I didn't ask about anything because you don't want to risk their investigation.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Police have arrested a 57-year-old man from Leigh on suspicion of possession of a firearm.

“Officers acting on intelligence searched the grounds of the Bridgewater Drive church in Leigh.

“Armed police then searched an address in Treecot Drive and arrested a man. He is in custody for questioning.”

The spokesman said nobody was injured during either incident and they do not believe any weapons were fired.