Armed police were called to a shopping centre in Bristol today following reports that a man had been brandishing a knife. The force rushed to The Galleries at around 10.50am this morning, Tuesday, January 7.
The officers arrived to find that a man had been detained by security staff at the shopping centre. He had been involved in an argument with another person.
Police have since confirmed that no knife was found at the scene and no one was injured in the altercation. Local officers will be patrolling the area this afternoon to reassure the public.
Avon and Somerset Police said: “Police were called to The Galleries in Bristol at about 10.50am on Tuesday 7 January following a reported sighting of a man with a knife. As a precaution, specialist firearms units were dispatched as part of the police response.
“On arrival, officers found that a man had been detained by the security team after a verbal altercation with another member of the public. Following CCTV enquiries and a search the matter is being treated as a false alarm with no knife found, no injuries, and no arrests. Neighbourhood officers will be patrolling the area as a reassuring uniformed presence.”