Police respond to rumours about a man with a gun in Preston last night - this is what really happened

At around 8.45pm, unconfirmed reports of a man with a gun in the Ingol area were posted in a number of local Facebook groups and shared widely.

Fearing an armed man might be on the loose, people alerted family and friends, urging them to lock their doors and stay off the streets.

The police helicopter was circling the city at the time, with the low-flying chopper hovering over neighbourhoods in Ingol and Ashton for around two hours.

A considerable number of police units were also spotted patrolling the streets in these areas, with officers appearing to be on the look-out for someone.

This morning, a blue police 'riot van' was seen parked on the New Rough Hey estate near the Tanterton Hall Road and Tag Lane roundabout, fuelling speculation.

But Lancashire Police has confirmed to the Post that it was not responding to a firearms-related incident in the city overnight, and no such incident was reported.

The force was looking for someone, but it was not a manhunt. Instead, officers were urgently searching for a missing man in the area, who has since been found.

A police spokesman said: "This morning (Thursday, November 25) we posted an appeal for a missing man – Adam Woods – who has since been found.

"He was missing in and around this area overnight (hence the police helicopter) which probably explains the large police presence.

"There was no reports of an armed man or similar incident."

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