Armed police officers were called to a park following reports of a man with a rifle.

Members of the public were prevented from entering the East Malling Recreation Field off New Road.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences.

Police were called at 7pm to Mill Street in East Malling and subsequently arrested a 20-year-old local man on suspicion of firearms offences. They also seized an air weapon.

The man remains in police custody while the investigation continues.

Eleanor Mitchem, 23, and Becky Moore, whose Lime Crescent home overlooks the park said they first noticed something was going on at about 8.15pm while they were watching TV.

Miss Mitcham said: "I noticed there was a police car on the grass outside our house.

"There were two armed police officers and they looked really scary. We were like 'Oh my God, what's happened?'

"Then they weren't letting people into the park - somebody tried to walk in, but they stopped them.

"We tried to peak over the fence but we couldn't see anything except for a person sitting on the bench not doing anything.

"We heard some shouting and I saw police handcuff the guy."

Miss Moore said: "It was an interesting Tuesday evening, it felt like we were in a BBC crime drama, but in the end it turned out to be a bit anti-climatic."

Another neighbour, Tom Pooke, said his daughter told him about the incident when he dropped in to see her in Snodland on a drive back from Liverpool.

But it wasn't until he finally got home that he saw police cars and realised how serious it was.

The 63-ear-old said "I have lived here for 32 years and normally it's very quiet."

By 10.30pm police had left the scene.

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