A MAN is being treated in hospital after armed police opened fire at a home in a quiet Somerset cul-de-sac.

Officers were called to the £350,000 detached home in Merlin Park Way, Portishead, north Somerset, at around 4.30pm yesterday (Wednesday, April 30).

Locals say there were reports a man inside was armed with a shotgun.

Police dog units were also deployed as the street - just half-a-mile from Avon and Somerset Police's HQ - was cordoned off to the public.

Officers discharged their weapon and a man was later taken to hospital by ambulance with a hand injury.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: ''We were called at around 3.45pm today (Wednesday, April 30) to Merlin Park, in Portishead, to check on the welfare of a man.

“Armed officers were deployed due to the mention of a firearm and negotiators attempted to engage with a man inside a property.

''Sometime later a police firearm was discharged. A man has been taken to hospital to receive treatment for an injury to his hand which is not believed to be life-threatening.

''No officers were injured in the incident.

''A cordon remains in place while enquiries are ongoing but do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.''

An elderly resident, who asked not to be named, said: "Police were called and two gunshots heard.

"Apparently the police had problems getting him into the ambulance, he didn't want to go even though he was injured."

Later in the evening two, female plain-clothed CID officers could be seen making house to house enquiries and a CSI van pulled into the street.

A uniformed officer was posted at the entrance to the 1970s built home.

Three unmarked BMWs, two white and one black, remained parked outside the property which had a black Mini countryman parked in the driveway.

Merlin Park Way is a large cul-de-sac made up of modern detached houses just a mile from the centre of Portishead town.