Locals in Maryport have called for more support from the authorities after armed police were called out to a fight which broke out in Maryport on Wednesday evening.

A spokesman said the firearms officers attended the street fight on Ennerdale Road as a precautionary measure after receiving calls that there were guns involved.

Baseball bats and BB guns were recovered after the fight, which began at about 5pm.

A man in his twenties was taken to hospital with an arm injury. Police said it was not a serious injury and he has since been released.

Ennerdale Road is on the Ewanrigg estate, close to the successful Ewanrigg community centre which offers a host of events and attractions and is well supported by residents.

It is also the home of the Ewanrigg Local Trust, which was granted £1 million to raise health, employment and aspirations on the estate.

It, too, has engaged with the community leading the battle for improved health, helping people into employment and funding local enterprise.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said the estate is “not a great place to live at the moment.”

She said: “Home Group does not seem to be working on our behalf any more. You don’t see housing officers now and houses are being let out to people from all over the country. I don’t think they are being properly vetted.

“Everyone is saying that the incident this week involved people from outside Cumbria who have come here to live.”

Bill Barnes, chairman of the Ewanrigg and Netherton Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, said: “I know it’s a national problem but the fact is we used to see a policeman every day. Now we are lucky if it is once a month.”

Sharon Barnes, who is chairman of the Ewanrigg Local Trust, said she believed the trust was being successful in raising aspirations, “but it is true that this latest incident involved people who have come in from out of the area”.

Home Group’s operations manager Christina Bell, said: “We take all our customers’ safety seriously and have rigorous policies in place to ensure they feel secure in their homes.

“We are aware of the incident and are currently liaising with police with the intention of taking swift action as appropriate.

“We would always advise customers to contact the police in the first instance when a crime occurs or there are incidents of anti-social behaviour. Reporting anti-social behaviour is really important to us and there are a number of ways customers can do this, including by phone and via our website.”

West Cumbria Superintendent Gary Slater said the police have a response team who respond swiftly to incidents as they did on Wednesday.

He added: “The area is also covered by the Allerdale Neighbourhood Policing Team who deal with the longer term issues through problem solving and effective partnership working.

“This team has a dedicated Proactive Team who are used to prevent issues developing by working with the community to nip any issues in the bud before they can become a problem. This is proving to be an effective arrangement, particularly in the more rural communities.”

Police are appealing for witnesses. Call 101 using incident number 176 of April 10, 2018, email 101@cumbria.police.uk or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.