Armed police arrested a 69-year-old man after reports of more than a hundred gunshots fired in a residential street.

Firearms officers and dog units from Sussex Police were deployed to Turkey Road, Bexhill just after 3pm today after residents had heard gunshots coming from one of the properties.

Officers attending discovered that a man had been seen firing a shotgun into trees.

Witnesses said they heard over 150 shots fired.

Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison said: "We attempted to contact the man, but there were problems with his home telephone, which delayed our efforts to speak to him. However, he eventually emerged from the house and it was quickly established that he was a licensed shotgun holder.

"We are now investigating whether any offences have been committed and if the gun was fired contrary to the licence held, albeit with no malicious intent to cause anyone any harm. We take these matters extremely seriously.

"Those who are entrusted to hold a shotgun must do so responsibly and in circumstances such as this we will always investigate carefully to ensure that any licence holder is suitable to be in that position of trust."

The  man from Bexhill was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and remained in custody on Sunday afternoon.