RESIDENTS told of their terror as armed police laid siege to a house in a quiet Gwent village.

People on Greenfield Terrace in Argoed were warned to stay indoors overnight on Wednesday, with the village in virtual lockdown as a house on the small valleys terrace was cordoned off by officers attempting to negotiate with the man.

The incident ended dramatically at around 8.30am on Thursday, with neighbours describing seeing and hearing flashes and bangs from the first floor of the house as armed officers intervened.

They had decided to act after hearing a disturbance inside, and discovered the 47-year-old man had sustained a chest injury. No shots were fired by officers.

The drama began at around 10.50pm on Wednesday when officers arrived at the house to make an arrest.

They were confronted by a man who fired a nail gun at them and armed back-up was called in.

“They were shouting through megaphones “come out with your hands up” and “we know you are in there”,” said one resident, who was decorating when the drama began.

“There were 12 police vehicles here and we were told there was someone with a gun in the building.

“Roadblocks were set up to stop people going in and out.

“The police had guns with lights on them and were there all night. I live outside the cordoned off area and was able to get to work in the morning, but no-one in the terrace was allowed in or out.”

Another man, who did not wish to be named, told the Argus: “There must have been 20 armed officers, 20 other police officers, and ambulance crews as well.

“I saw they were gearing up for something because they were putting equipment on, and they went in through the front door. Within a couple of minutes I sawflashes and heard bangs fromupstairs and an officer came out and indicated it was all clear.”

Gwent Police said the man was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital.

His condition is described as stable.

He has been arrested on suspicion of attempted wounding and affray.

I’ve never seen anything like it, it was like a film - neighbour

THE homeowner’s mother Eileen, 66, said the way her son and daughter-in-law had been treated by the man was “disgusting.”

“We don’t know the state of the house yet, but the police broke the front window and door, God knows what kind of a mess it’s in,” she said.

“On top of all that, my daughter-in-law is ill herself.

She needed her medication and no-one could get it for her as it was in the house while the siege was taking place. It took nearly two hours for her to get it.”

Neighbour Andrew Chamberlain, 48, said: “I saw the whole thing. There were two lots of armed police, 15 or 20 of them, and they were heavily armed. I’ve never seen anything like it, it was like a film.

“He kept shouting ‘I’m not coming out of the house, you’ll shoot me.’ They brought him out this morning on a stretcher with an oxygen mask. It looked like he had hurt himself quite badly.

“We haven’t been told anything, we still don’t even know why they were after him in the first place.”