A MAN has been jailed for nine years for firearms offences following an incident in Bromsgrove which saw shots fired by armed police.

Edward Mark Williams was sentenced to serve nine months for escaping lawful custody; seven years for two counts of possession of an imitation firearm with the intent to cause fear of violence; and nine years for having an imitation firearm with intent to resist arrest, all to be served concurrently.

The offences relate to an incident in November 2018, where police were called to reports of a man with a handgun in Bromsgrove. He was located in Birmingham Road and during the incident shots were fired by trained firearms officers.

Williams suffered gunshot wounds and was given emergency first aid by police at the scene before being taken to hospital where he received surgery, before making a full recovery.

The 55-year-old, of Malvern, was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (June 26), having previously pleaded guilty.

Detective Chief Inspector Carl Moore said: “Thankfully incidents such as this are very rare in West Mercia and I am pleased Williams has been brought to justice and the sentence reflects the extremely serious nature of these offences and the fear he caused.

“Our specially trained firearms officers are highly skilled and will only ever discharge their weapons as a last resort if it is absolutely necessary and I would like to thank the local community for their understanding and patience displayed while we dealt with this incident.”