ARMED police swooped on a quiet residential street after officers were alerted to a man damaging a home in Coxford.

Hampshire Constabulary raced to the property on Outer Circle, Southampton, to reports of a man outside the house causing a disturbance.

But moments before they arrived, the man was said to have made off on a moped and evaded the officers.

Residents spoke of their shock at seeing dozens of armed officers on what was described by one local as “a quiet road where nothing really happens”.

Police responded to the call just before 4pm on Wednesday,.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “A man was reportedly causing damage the outside of a house.

“Due to the circumstances and what had been reported to us, a decision was made that it was appropriate and proportionate for armed officers to be deployed to the address.

“The man was said to leave on a moped prior to police arrival.”

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that no one was injured in the early evening incident and at the time of publication nobody had been arrested.

It added that enquiries into the circumstances were ongoing.

One local, who did not wish to be named, said they were “shocked” when they looked out of their window to see “around 12 officers and six police cars” dotted around nearby streets including Aldermoor Avenue.

Another added: “It was quite scary this only happens once in a blue moon here.”