ARMED officers swooped on Southampton city centre after reports of a man wielding a gun.

Police units surrounded TK Maxx in the High Street following a call from a member of the public who claimed to have spotted two men arguing in Brinton’s Road, one of who was holding a handgun.

A man matching that description was seen going into the fashion store but when officers swooped, they discovered that the man had nothing to do with the earlier incident.

Armed units then headed to Brinton’s Road, where the argument happened at 4.30pm yesterday, and cordoned off the area before detaining a man.

It was unclear last night whether he had been armed.

Chief Inspector Duncan Weston, of Hampshire police, said: “The man is now helping us with our enquiries.”