A 31-YEAR-OLD man from Swindon was arrested in Royal Wootton Bassett yesterday afternoon following reports of a man carrying a samurai sword.

An officer from the Special Constabulary received a report from a member of the public at about 3.30pm.

A detailed description of the man was given, which enabled officers from Community Policing Team 4 to arrest a man within just four minutes of the initial report.

He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article.

Sergeant Neil Duffin said: “We understand that incidents of this nature will cause concern amongst our close knit community, and incidents of this nature are rare.

“Nobody was injured and officers were able to swiftly arrest the man, who remains in custody at this time.

“This incident happened on the same day as a Royal British Legion parade through the town, and I would like to stress that it was completely unrelated and had no impact on the parade itself.”

Police said on Facebook: "We would like to stress that this incident was not terror related."

  • The 31-year-old has now been released on bail under investigation.