Armed police descend on Bullring in Birmingham
Armed police descended on the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham following a tip-off from a member of the public.
A large contingent of officers congregated at the upper entrances to the centre, near the junction of New Street and High Street.
Officers were stationed around the centre and a force helicopter circled, but the Bullring itself remained open.
West Midlands Police said the deployment was "a precaution" but would not give details about the tip-off.
A number of police vehicles, marked and unmarked, remain around New Street and High Street.
The armed operation was announced by the force on its Twitter feed, leading to questions from other Twitter users about what prompted the deployment of armed police.
However, West Midlands Police would only say it was precautionary and that the shopping centre was "open as usual".