ARMED police swooped on a van in Burnley to arrest two men and a teenager.

It happened in Moorland Road at 11.10am yesterday when officers stopped a white van and arrested the occupants who are all from Greater Manchester.

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A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and carrying an offensive weapon. Police have not said what the weapon is but the Lancashire Telegraph understands it is not a firearm.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs and a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

All remained in custody last night and are set to be quizzed this morning.

The arrests come in the wake of mass disorder in the town over the weekend in which shots were fired in Stroyan Street and also saw allegations that men were seen with machetes.

Police patrols have been stepped up in both areas.

Residents have spoken of their shock at seeing armed police in the area around Moorland Road.

One Romney Avenue resident said: “I had just got back to my home when I heard a lot of armed police on the other side of the road.

“They were shouting ‘armed police, armed police’ in the direction of a white van.

“There were sirens going off and people were shouting, it was crazy.

“I saw an unmarked police car and a larger 4x4 police car.

“You could see their equipment and their black helmets”

A Moorland Road resident said: “I heard the police sirens and I looked outside and saw the armed police.

“It must have been something major otherwise they would not have been there. It was very dramatic.

“I saw a policeman searching a man by the side of his van.

“A man was put in a police car and they left.”

Another eyewitness said: “There were a lot of policemen stood by a white van and a pickup truck.

“The white van was put onto the pickup truck and taken away.

“The police cars could be heard from a mile away. I had seen them go up the road first and then shortly after they pulled up by my house.”

Detective Inspector Mark Vaughton said: “Three men, all from the Greater Manchester area, were detained at the scene.

“A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs.

“A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

“A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.

“All three remain in police custody.”

The ‘disturbance’ in Stroyan Street happened at 3pm on Saturday.

Detectives said it is believed it was during in that incident a firearm was discharged through the front window of the house, causing damage to the property. No one was injured as a result of the weapon going off.

Police said the incident could be linked to an earlier reports of another in Brockenhurst Street at around noon where a number of men were seen with knives.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.