ARMED police were involved in a four-hour siege today at a property in a New Milton neighbourhood.

A large scale police response attended an address in Brecon Close, near the Tesco superstore, at 11am.

Residents reported seeing around a dozen armed officers, a police dog, a fire engine and two ambulance service vehicles.

A negotiation took place for some time and a man is under arrest.

Armed officers eventually left the scene at around 3pm.

Marked police vehicles remain in attendance.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We were called at 10.55am to reports of a disturbance at an address in Brecon Close, Ashley.

“Concerns were raised for the welfare of people at the address. Officers are on scene and dealing.

“On the basis of the information provided to police, armed officers were deployed.”

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Echo: “It sounds like there was some sort of dispute.

“There were a lot of police cars and armed officers. They closed the road off.”

Police told a resident in a neighbouring property to leave his home while they dealt with the incident, while other neighbours were told to stay inside.

Another resident said: “The standoff went on for hours and I thought it was just going to carry on and on because the negotiator kept going back and forward talking to someone in the property.

“It’s such a nice quiet little neighbourhood. People have lived here for 30 years and never seen anything like this.

“Police did a very professional job.

“Two or three cars came along at first and then the road was packed with them.

“There was around 17 officers here at its height.

“They appeared to go around the back of the house as well as the front.”