Armed police at apartment block in Bilston

Officers descended on the recently- built complex in Bilston at around 8pm yesterday.

Two unmarked high-performance Audi police cars and a van were stationed outside the property in Longbridge Walk, all of them manned by armed officers. But today, West Midlands Police said they found no evidence of a crime or a firearm.

Spokesman Lee Page said: "Armed officers were sent there at 8pm after reports that a possible assault was taking place somewhere in that building. They were stood down at 1am and we are satisfied that it was a false call, but with good intent." A resident of a nearby apartment block, who asked not to be named, said he had gone outside for a cigarette during half-time of England's football match with Denmark when he was approached by an armed officer. He said: "He told me to go back inside the house. There was no explanation.

"I went back inside and looked out my front window and I could see armed police milling around everywhere. It was very quiet.

"There were no sirens or commotion but there were so many police with guns around you could tell something serious was going on."

One officer told an Express & Star reporter to leave the scene, explaining the area was not safe and that a 'potentially dangerous situation' could be developing. By 10.30pm another armed officer could be seen standing inside the communal entrance to the building, the tip of his gun clearly visible jutting out through the partially closed door.

Fifteen minutes later a Peugeot 206 drove up to the apartment block.

The male occupant got out of the car and was quickly shepherded inside the property by an armed officer.

Then at around 11.15pm an unmarked silver police Land Rover pulled up about 50 metres from the entrance to the complex on Green Lanes. The vehicle, which contained four uniformed police officers, stayed in position until shortly before 12.45am.