Armed police stormed a block of flats in Aberdeen and led away a man in handcuffs during the early hours of this morning.
A fleet of police vehicles, along with officers wielding guns and protective shields and some with dogs, swooped on the Baxter Court building in Torry at about 6.50pm.
The crew promptly sealed off a stretch of the adjacent street, Baxter Place, upon their arrival and denied access to any passersby for hours.
By 1am, there were still five police vans and several cars in attendance and blue and white police tape remained stretched along both entrances to the street.
About that time, the armed men could be seen entering a door at the west of the property.
Loud bangs could be heard from within, along with beams of torchlight visible through windows, and they later emerged carrying large plastic items.
At about 1.30am a man who appeared to be in his 20s was led from the east end of the flat complex in handcuffs.
The man was placed in the back of a waiting police van on North Balnagask Road.
Shortly afterwards an ambulance arrived at Baxter Place, in relation to complaints from the man who had been arrested.
Several concerned locals had gathered to watch the alarming scenes.
One woman, who lives adjacent to the flat at the heart of the situation, said she had been barred entry since returning from work hours earlier.
However, despite the apparent severity of the response, police control room staff in Dundee would not comment on whether a crime had taken place or whether there was any threat of harm to the wider public.
They would only state that the “incident” involved one male.
The spokesman said: “There was only one male concerned in the incident, and there was some concern for his welfare within the flat.
“Due to these concerns, we forced entry to the property and the male was detained for his own welfare.
“There was nobody in there with him.”