Three men have been arrested after armed police swooped in to assist officers who had been assaulted in a North Somerset village this afternoon.

Officers were assaulted by two men in Yatton High Street after they had stopped a car while patrolling at 2pm this afternoon.

The three men then fled into a nearby house.

A police negotiator and armed officers were called, and the road was cordoned off as a precautionary measure.

The three men were arrested at 4.20pm on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and obstructing the police,

and are in custody at this time.

An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said: “Police have arrested three men in Yatton after two officers were assaulted while talking to the occupant of a car.

The vehicle was stopped by patrolling officers in the High Street at about 2pm Today (Thursday) so that the driver could be spoken to about the status of its insurance.

“Two men then came out of a nearby house and the two officers were assaulted.

“All three men fled into a nearby house.

“A negotiation-trained officer assisted local officers before specialist firearms officers were called on as a precaution to ensure the safety of the officers, suspects and the public in the immediate area due to the potential presence of a firearm as one of the household is a licenced firearms holder.

“Three men were arrested at about 4.20pm on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and obstructing police.

“They remain in police custody and officers are still at the scene at the time of writing.”