The police have issued details about why there was such a large presence in Borehamwood at the end of last week.

A police helicopter, armed officers, and local officers were all spotted by residents in the town on Friday afternoon (September 3).

The Times contacted Hertfordshire Constabulary which confirmed it responded to two separate incidents during the afternoon.

The main incident occurred at around 3.30pm when police responded to reports of a man allegedly seen with a firearm.

Officers raced to Nicoll Way and the road was shut. The police helicopter hovered overhead with armed units leading the response on the ground.

However, following enquiries at the scene, it turned out the original emergency call was a false alarm.

A police spokesperson said: "Police were called at 3.26pm on Friday (3 September) to reports of a man allegedly seen with a firearms in a garden in Nicoll Way.

"Officers attended the scene, with assistance from the armed policing unit and the police helicopter.

"A search of the property was carried out and no firearms were found. It was established that the alleged firearms were actually bicycle forks.

"During the search of the property, officers found a bag of cannabis and cannabis resin. A 49-year-old man from Borehamwood was issued with a community resolution."

Before this incident, police had already swarmed a Borehamwood neighbourhood after reports of two motorbikes being driven dangerously in Ripon Park.

Officers were called to the park at 2.06pm on Friday but by the time they arrived, the bikers had left the scene.

A search of the area was carried out but the bikes could not be traced.