Gun fired as three men burst into Swanscombe house
Police at the scene of
the house in Church Road
by Thom Morris and Lizzie
Massey
Neighbours have spoken of their terror
after a gun was fired in Swanscombe when three men forced
their way into a house.
Three people were in the terraced home
in Church Road when the drama unfolded at just before 5pm
yesterday.
Three men wearing hoodies were then
seen running from the house.
Kent Police said no one was hurt and
officers believe all those involved knew each other.
A spokesman for the force said two
people - a man of 25 and 23-year-old woman - in the house when the
trio burst in have been arrested on supicion of growing
cannabis.
One mother living next door said she
had to comfort her children after hearing the gun shot.
Video: A police cordon at
the site of the shooting in Swanscombe
Mother-of-three Tina Sibanyoni-Nyathi,
who only moved to the road six weeks ago, said: "It was about
4.45pm - it was just after the school run.
"We heard men's voices and then the
dog went mad. I felt sorry for the dog.
"I was sitting here with my son
watching something on the television and we were about to go out to
Scouts.
“We were checking the Christmas lists
and we heard this man shouting and the dog and then there was all
this banging, pushing and shoving movements against the walls and
then the dog went quiet.
"My son was asking if the dog was
biting someone. He was scared and he said 'call the police' but I
didn't know what was happening and then the gun shot went.
"Because it was right behind the wall
I felt as if it was in the room. I had to comfort him. I'm from
South Africa so I know what a gun shot sounds like.
"My son is nine-years-old and my
daughter was sleeping upstairs and she was too scared to come
downstairs. We didn't know what was happening and then we still
heard this banging on our walls.
"I lost my brother while he was trying
to stop a fight in South Africa so I've learnt to mind my own
business."
Another resident of Church Road said
there was a heavy armed police response.
A police cordon in Church
Road this morning
Simon Jones, 45, said: "I saw about
three police cars go past my house last night and though 'what on
earth is going on?'.
"I was told by a neighbour that there
were gun shots coming from one of the houses down the street and
when I looked outside I saw the armed response unit with their 4x4
parked outside the property.
"We've had about six police cars
outside all night, but nobody I know has been told anything or
warned about any further danger."
The ex-serviceman added: "I'm not
surprised there's been a firearm incident. Last month, I was
threatened by a guy on this road when I told him to control his pit
bull and staffy.
"He basically said to mind my own
business, not so politely, and then said 'if you don't I'll torch
your house and shoot your pets'. Obviously I told the police."
A Kent Police spokesman said: "Officers were called at 5pm on
Wednesday, November 28 to a terraced house after a report that
three men forcibly entered the property.
"Three people were in the house at the time. No one was hurt
when the firearm discharged and three men wearing hoodies were seen
running from the house. It's believed that all those involved are
known to each other.
"A 25-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman who were in the house
at the time were arrested for cultivating cannabis."
29/11/12
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