TWO men were arrested by armed police after reportedly firing a handgun at an abandoned car in a car park at a service station.

Police were called after a member of the public reported seeing two men with what was believed to be a handgun near the McDonald's restaurant in Blackburn Road, Rising Bridge, yesterday afternoon.

After firing the weapon the men were seen getting in to a Volkswagon Polo car and driving off.

Lancashire Police's force helicopter and an Armed Response Unit were immediately scrambled and the car was tailed to Accrington where it was stopped in Plantation Street.

The two men were arrested by officers from the Armed Response Unit with the force helicopter, dog patrol and a second armed unit on standby.

Plantation Street was sealed off while the arrests took place and the two men were taken to Accrington Police Station where they were quizzed by police.

A handgun was recovered from the Volkswagon car and was later revealed to be a ball-bearing firing weapon.

A police spokesman said: "As with any report of firearms being seen or used, this call from a member of the public was taken very seriously and we dealt with the incident in a swift and professional way."