ARMED police officers were sent to Burnley after three men tried to force their way into a house.

Residents in Mary Street reported hearing officers shouting “get down, get down, get down”, as the three men were detained.

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All three men were arrested on suspicion of firearms and drugs offences and have been released on bail until January.

Two of the men are aged 24, one is 27, and they are all from Burnley.

It is alleged they were trying to force their way into an address in Brennand Street around noon yesterday. Armed police, a police dog unit, and response officers were all dispatched and stopped a black BMW X5 in Mary Street.

Surrounding roads were blocked off and residents were told to stay indoors whilst armed officers made arrests.

Police said no weapons had been recovered.

An eyewitness said: “There were a lot of people on the street.

“Then the police came from nowhere with their cars and guns. I just heard them shouting ‘get down, get down, get down’.

“They were shouting to residents to get back. Then they were looking through bushes.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s getting like The Bronx around here.”

Another witness said: “I was in my bedroom and I heard the police shouting ‘get down’.

“I looked out of my back window and saw officers running down the back alley.

“I tried to open my front door to see what was happening but I was told to get back in my house. There was another man locked up on the other side of the street.”

A resident said: “I’m shocked by what I’ve seen.

“This is unusual for this area. I have lived here my whole life and nothing like this has ever happened before. I just hope nobody is hurt.”

A Lancashire police spokeswoman said: “We were called at around midday to reports of men trying to enter an address in Brennand Street, Burnley.

“Officers attended and stopped a vehicle in Mary Street. Two men aged 24 and one man aged 27, all from Burnley, were arrested on suspicion of firearms and drugs offences.”