Police – some armed with guns – swooped in a busy York street in what appeared to be an ongoing incident.

Nine police vehicles were on the scene in Bootham at 4pm today (Thursday, October 17) near the Register Office, according to an eyewitness.

Another witness said they saw two men being taken away from the scene by police.

Uniformed and plain clothed police officers were seen dealing with the incident.

A woman on the scene told The Press: “I saw lots of plain clothed police officers and officers across the street, and big crowds of pedestrians being held back from the scene.

“There were quite a few school children leaving nearby schools as well.

“It all looked very dramatic but there were so many police officers there that everything looked under control.”

The road was reportedly closed during the incident initially but later reopened.

Traffic was heavy in the area, with queues forming at the junction of Bootham Row Car Park and in Bootham itself, stretching back to near Bootham Bar.

The incident was over by 5pm, The Press understands.

The Press has contacted North Yorkshire Police for more information.