SHOCKED revellers watched as armed police held a man at gunpoint during a swoop in Largs on Saturday night.

The drama unfolded after the emergency response squad stopped a white van outside Nardini's in Largs after tearing through the town with sirens blaring just before 6pm.

The junction of Nelson Street and Greenock Road was blocked during the raid as several police cars and vans raced to the scene.

People who saw the incident unfold told how a man was removed from the vehicle by armed officers while a woman and young child were also present.

Eyewitness Patrick Murphy told the News how he watched the police point guns at a man before he was handcuffed and taken away in one of the force vehicles.

He said: "I was walking along to Potters with a friend and I saw all of this commotion and went to have a look.

"There were around six or seven police cars - and the armed police had their guns pointing at the man.

"There was a lady, and child who was only four or five years of age, at the side and the police seemed to be comforting them.

"I don't know what it was all about. The police told us to move away.

"We did see the man being handcuffed and being put into the back of a van and then officers started to disperse."

A police spokeswoman told the News the incident was intelligence led.

They added: "We received intelligence information which resulted in the stopping of a vehicle in Largs.

"There was a search of the vehicle carried out, which yielded a negative result.

"There were no arrests made. The man may have been moved away from the scene by officers, but there were no subsequent arrests or charges.

"If police think there is some kind of threat they have to act accordingly and carry out the appropriate checks."

Police were unwilling to say the nature of the intelligence or whether it was drugs or firearms related. They did confirm to the News that it was not related terrorism, contrary to some rumours circulating on social media.

They also confirmed that the operation involved police from outwith the local division.