ARMED police swooped on a street in York city centre following reports that a man was carrying a knife.

The junction of Walmgate and Fossgate was cornered off by six police vans shortly before 2pm on Saturday.

Shocked onlookers watched on as about a dozen police descended on the area and restrained two men and a woman.

A knife was later found on one of the men, a 38-year-old from the local area. He was later arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon A second man aged 35 and also from the local area, was arrested for public order offences.

An eyewitness said: “I heard lots of shouting and loud noises so I went to have a look and I saw two men and a woman shouting in the middle of the street.

“Then I saw loads of police vans pull up and officers jump out.

“The men and the woman dropped all the booze they were carrying on the floor and the police restrained them.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Police were called just before 2pm, to reports from a member of the public that a man had been seen with a knife near an address on Walmgate.

“Following a short police search, two local men have been arrested.

“They are both currently in police custody.

“Police dealt with the situation quickly and appropriately to ensure that members of the public were kept safe. Thankfully nobody was hurt and these kinds of incidents are very rare.”