ARMED police raided two separate houses in Wellington and arrested a man after it appeared a handgun was fired in the town on Tuesday evening (April 8).

Police were alerted after video footage of a firearm being discharged was posted on the man’s social media feed.

About eight specialist armed response officers wearing face masks were then seen entering a property in the town centre of Wellington shortly before 6pm.

However, they left about an hour later not having found the person for whom they had been looking.

It was not until just after midnight that they made an arrest, when they found the man at a separate address in the north east of the town.

The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate.

An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesperson told the Wellington Weekly on Wednesday: “A man remains in police custody and investigations continue.”

The spokesperson said the officers investigating the case had not yet found any weapon.

They said: “Anybody with information which could help the investigation is asked to call 101 and give the reference 5225099507.”

The Avon and Somerset force has nearly 120 authorised firearms officers who are on standby to provide specialist support whenever needed for an operation.

They are issued with Heckler and Koch G36C 5.56mm semi-automatic carbines, as also used by counter-terrorism police officers in London, which fire a small high velocity round.

During the 12 months ending in March of last year they were deployed on 470 occasions, a number which has been gradually coming down recent years.

However, data provided by the Home Office has revealed Avon and Somerset firearms officers only had to discharge their weapons three times in the past 15 years, most recently in 2023.