A 16-year-old youth has been taken into custody after a suspected firearms incident in Shetland which saw police urge the public in some areas of the islands' capital to stay in their homes.

Traffic was also diverted and Police Scotland's specialist firearms officers were flown to Shetland from the mainland by helicopter to help local armed officers deal with the incident in Lerwick yesterday.

It followed reports that a man with a gun was seen leaving a rigid inflatable boat [rib] in East Voe near the village of Scalloway on the west coast of the Shetland mainland about six miles from Lerwick.

Police Scotland made an urgent appeal for the public to remain indoors around the Fogralea, Nederdale, Murrayston and South Road areas of the town.

One commuter caught up in the traffic said the area was "completely clogged".

The yellow Sea King helicopter containing the armed officers landed in the middle of a road where they were transferred to a waiting police squad car.

The armed officers were seen being deployed strategically near the site and police vehicles with sirens wailing raced up and down the road. There were no shots fired.

He said: "There are a lot of police cars and vans with the police lights."

An eye-witness said: "There are vans of police dogs and a big van with police, with helmets. They look like they've got guns and have got all their protective, bullet-proof vests.

"They closed the road between Tesco and where the Clickimin Loch is... I had to go round through the houses and I got to the top and the traffic was jammed as well. ."

The teenager was arrested in the Murraystone area of Lerwick around four hours later. A Police Scotland spokesman said: "No one was injured..."