A MAN arrested by armed police who raided two separate houses in Wellington after it appeared a handgun was fired in the town on Tuesday evening (April 8) has been released without charge.
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 were then seen entering a property in the town centre of Wellington, but they left about an hour later not having found the person for whom they were looking.
It was just after midnight when they made an arrest on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate after finding the man at a separate address in the north east of the town.
A police spokesperson said the man had been questioned by officers and told them the video was not recorded by him.
Wellington neighbourhood policing team Sgt Jon O’Connor said: “We would like to reassure the public that during the course of inquiries the man’s address was thoroughly searched and no firearms or ammunition were found.
“We have also not received any reports from members of the public hearing a firearm being discharged in Wellington.
“Therefore, the man has been released without charge.
“We are grateful to those who reported the video to us and we believe it was right to treat the matter seriously and carry out proportionate inquiries to establish whether any offences had occurred within our force area.
“We recognise the video is likely to have caused concerns among members of the community and therefore the public can expect to see an increased police presence over the coming days with extra patrols planned.”
The Avon and Somerset force has nearly 120 authorised firearms officers who are on standby to provide specialist support whenever needed for an operation.