Armed police arrested a man following a siege in an upmarket Inverness suburb yesterday.
They responded following reports of a “disturbance” in Milton of Leys in the early hours of the morning.
Officers were called to the property in Strathspey Place in Milton of Leys around 3.20am.
A 28-year-old man was arrested at around 8.30am after a five-hour stand-off.
An exclusion zone was put in place as police vehicles lined the streets surrounding the property, with Inshes Road, between Sandalwood Avenue and Kincraig Drive, closed off to the public for large parts of the morning.
Local residents told of their shock of the incident, with one telling the Press and Journal they were told by officers to stand away from the windows while armed officers responded to the incident.
Chief Inspector Colin Gough said: “This incident was contained to within the property and there was no wider risk to the public.
“We appreciate that the police presence will have been disruptive to local residents going about their business and we appreciate their patience and understanding while the incident was ongoing.”
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Glass lay dispersed on the ground outside the property with officers standing guard following the conclusion of the incident.
Jonathan Elliott, who lives nearby, said: “All I saw was the cars all along the street outside and then the armed response turned up.
“Then I heard them screaming ‘armed response, open the door’. The police never came to speak to me.”
Local residents Lomond Nicoll and Reece Huls were shocked to see the incident in the area.
Mr Huls said: “We were woken up by it at about 7am when we seen armed police all over the street. It was quite a thing to wake up to.”
Mr Nicoll added: “Over the road, there were armed officers with a ballistic shield, which I’ve only ever seen them use for bombs.
“There were also two officers around the back. All they really said to us was to stay in our homes.
“We kind of just poked our heads out to see what was going on and there were officers there with big rifles. It’s not something you really expect in this area.”
A fire engine and a single ambulance had been called to the scene and were on standby close to the nearby Milton of Leys Primary School.
Yesterday, the school informed parents and the wider public that it was open as usual, with a statement reading: “We are aware there is an incident in Milton of Leys area this morning involving the emergency services.
“There are emergency services on standby close to the school but this is not a school incident.”
