A man brandishing a meat cleaver prompted a huge police search in Popley yesterday, Hampshire Constabulary revealed. 

Armed officers rushed to the scene on Wordsworth Close on Sunday afternoon but couldn't find the suspect. 

No injuries were reported and police said they do not believe there is a threat to the wider community, though they said the man hadn't been found.

A spokesperson for the Hampshire Constabulary said: “We were called at 3.47pm yesterday (Sunday, February 14), to reports of a disturbance outside of an address on Wordsworth Close, Popley, after a man was seen with a meat cleaver.

“Officers attended but no one was located.

“There have been no reports of injuries and no arrests made at this time. It is not believed there is any threat to the wider community.”

A witness had told that people were being turned away from the road on Sunday evening as there were a number of police vehicles with "blue flashing lights" at the scene. 

Speaking at the time, they said they saw around 15 police cars on Shakespeare Road.