St Leonards gunshot incident: Further arrests

Specialist officers from neighbouring forces and the National Police Air Service helicopter assisted armed units

Further arrests have been made in connection with an armed incident in St Leonards-on-Sea.

Sussex Police received reports of shots being fired towards a vehicle in Theaklen Drive at about 19:10 GMT on Tuesday, followed by a report of a man with a firearm at Churchill Court in nearby Stonehouse Drive.

Armed units responded to the scenes of both incidents.

Nobody was hurt and a man was arrested in connection with the incident.

A firearm was also seized.

Officers have since recovered several weapons, including what is believed to be a blank firing pistol, blank firing ammunition, along with drugs and mobile phones, after carrying out warrants at two addresses in Stonehouse Drive.

There was a large emergency service response to the incident

A 16-year-old boy from Battle, East Sussex, has been arrested on suspicion of affray, possessing an offensive weapon and possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply.

A 29-year-old man from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has also been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and being concerned in the supply of a class A drug.

Both remain in police custody.

The incident is not being treated as terror-related, Sussex Police said.

Ch Insp Jay Mendis-Gunasekera said a Section 60 order for the Hollington area, which has allowed officers to conduct stop searches on anyone, has now been lifted.

Local residents told BBC Radio Sussex they heard a police helicopter overhead for about three hours and described the incident as "frightening".

Any witnesses are urged to come forward.

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