A 57-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested following a robbery that saw armed police swoop on Canterbury city centre yesterday afternoon.

An area of the busy shopping precinct was evacuated while officers dealt with the situation around NatWest bank.

Officers held a man, from Ashford, after being called at 3.40pm and recovered an imitation weapon from the scene.

A police cordon was put in place in The Parade and shoppers at stores including a jewellers' nearby were evacuated.

Kent Police spokesman Karen Noble said: "We were called at 3.40pm to reports of a robbery in Canterbury city centre. Witnesses reported seeing a weapon.

"Officers attended and took a man into custody at 4.08pm. An imitation weapon was recovered."

She said it is not yet known what type of imitation weapon it was and could not confirm if NatWest had been involved.

Alex Perkins, who runs the Pandora jewellery shop in The Parade, said: "The first thing we knew about it was when armed police arrived and told us to lock the door.

"They put a cordon round our shop and the NatWest bank where it appears something has gone on.

"We safely escorted our shoppers out of the rear of the shop. I'm not aware of anyone being injured. There are no ambulances on the scene.

"The cordon has been pulled back a little bit now, so whatever has happened appears to have been and gone."

The cordon was taken down by 4.45pm.

Andy Copas, who runs South West Flowers opposite the bank, said: "There were loads of police here. There were seven or eight police cars and vans, and a police dog unit.

"Obviously they were taking something very seriously when I saw it. Then the armed police turned up.

"But it was all over in an instant. It sounds like it was someone with a toy gun, perhaps a water pistol - it must've run out of water!"