A MAN has been arrested after he brandished a ‘rifle’ at staff in a betting shop in Chester.

The drama began to unfold at around 3.30pm on Friday (June 14) when armed police were called to Betfred on Watergate Street in the city centre.

Reporters at The Standard, which has its office on the same street, were alerted when they heard officers preventing people from walking near the scene.

Chester and District Standard:

Police officers stopped pedestrians from walking near the scene on Watergate Street. Photo by Mike Peers.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said the man allegedly held a grudge against the shop and walked in with what looked like a rifle.

“He was waving it about,” she said. “It was not fired at any point. He threatened staff before leaving.”

The 44-year-old man was apprehended and arrested soon after in the nearby Watergates Bar. He did not have the weapon with him but it has since been recovered.

The spokesman added: “Officers managed to detain the man. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a weapon with intent to cause violence.”

The man remains in police custody.

Chester and District Standard:

The incident happened in Betfred on Watergate Street in the city centre.