Police descended on a Suffolk village this afternoon following reports that a man had shot his neighbour - but arrived to find it was a false alarm.

When they arrived in Peasenhall Road, Walpole, officers discovered the neighbour was uninjured and that there was no evidence of shots being fired.

Police were contacted at 12.10pm by a man saying he thought he had shot his neighbour in the chest.

Officers closed off the area but then discovered that the neighbour was alive and well and had not been shot. The 'victim' and other neighbours also told police they had not heard any gun shots.

The person who made the original call came out of the property carrying a bag and he was detained by officers and the bag searched. This did not contain any weapons.

Officers are currently carrying out a search at the premises to see if there are any weapons at the property.

A spokesman for Suffolk Constabulary said: 'The man who made the original call has been taken to hospital for a mental health assessment.'