Armed officers and a dog unit descended on a town centre after a man was spotted with a sword.
Police were called to Canterbury Road, Faversham at 3.54pm yesterday following reports a person was carrying a large blade near a bus stop.
They carried out a search before arresting a man elsewhere in the town.
Pictures taken by resident Augustus Redman show several police cars and about 10 officers outside the Ask Italian restaurant in Crescent Road at the junction with Court Street.
Mr Redman told KentOnline: “The first thing I saw was not the armed police, but rather the dog unit being rushed out of its container car.
“I was extremely surprised to see not only armed police in Faversham [as] this is the first time I think I’ve ever seen them [here], but also in such numbers. There must have been at least five police cars at the scene
“I was initially alarmed by the speed with which the dog unit was deployed, but my concern quickly changed to curiosity when I saw how quickly the officers got the situation under control and apprehended the suspect.
“They cleared out of the scene very quickly, and the cars had all left by around 4.55pm or 5pm.”
A police spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a man with a sword walking along Canterbury Road, Faversham, at 3.54pm.
“Patrols, including armed officers, completed a search of the area and a 35-year-old man was arrested in the town centre a short time later.
“An imitation sword was also seized and the suspect was taken into custody.”
