Armed police swarm Kettering street after 999 'sawn-off shotgun' call - to find it was a selfie stick

Armed police flooded a Kettering street after a 999 call over a man with what looked like a sawn-off shotgun - to find it was actually a selfie stick.

Officers with guns shut off Windmill Avenue last night (Sunday) after the call to Northamptonshire Police's control room, which a force spokesman said was genuine.

The caller rang 999 at about 6.50pm to say a man was in the Windmill Avenue area carrying what they thought was a sawn-off shotgun.

Armed officers were deployed to the scene near Atlantis Fish Bar and blocked the road towards Wicksteed Park as bemused residents watched on.

But it turned out the item was just a selfie stick, which police described as 'fairly sophisticated'.

A spokesman said no offences were identified and the road was re-opened a short time later that evening.