PEOPLE living on a Trowbridge estate say that the arrest of a suspected gunman outside their homes is the last straw.

Residents of the Seymour estate say they have been plagued with problems, from vandalism and break-ins to drunks hanging around outside and many are now afraid to leave their homes.

The suspected gunman, who was later released without charge, was spotted by police officers already at the estate after an earlier incident in which the bomb squad had to be called in after a shell was found in a nearby garden.

Insp Jon Tapper, of Trowbridge police, said: "Officers saw a male, who appeared to be drunk, walk past their location. They saw what they thought was the handle of a small handgun in his pocket.

"Because of the nature of the sighting we had to deal with this very, very carefully."

Officers kept the man under surveillance for over an hour while inquiries were made in the area.

These inquiries ascertained that the gun was unlikely to be real and officers overpowered the man without needing to call in armed response officers.

A 35-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of theft and firearms offences but was later released without charge.

Although the gun turned out to be a replica, many residents were upset and angered by the incident.

Jeffrey Campbell, who lives in Langford Road, said: "I don't feel safe here any more. I used to like living here but now it has got really bad."

Mr Campbell said that a small group of people who have moved into the area over the past year have been disrupting the lives of other residents.

He said: "We seem to have all the ones with problems here. I know they have to live somewhere but we shouldn't have everybody here."

Another woman living in the area said that the noise at night is constantly waking up her five-year-old son.

One resident, Pauline Goodall, was anxiously waiting in the street until the drama was over so that she could get to her teenage daughters who had

called her in a panic after seeing police swarm over the area.

She said that the problems are caused by a group of about five people who live on the Seymour estate and other youngsters from the town who have started using the estate as a meeting place.

She said: "Things are getting worse. I can't use the communal garden because they are there.

"When they are sober they are fine but when they are fuelled by alcohol you are scared to go out. It is like we are in prison."