Lancashire Police launch huge raid on home in Kenilworth Road, St Annes

People were told to stay in their homes and lock their doors when more than 20 police officers raided a house in St Annes on New Year's Eve.

Residents were alarmed when a fleet of police cars and vans blocked off both ends of Kenilworth Road at around 9.30pm on Sunday (December 31).

Officers forced their way inside one of the homes, but the person they were looking for was not found. Police left at around midnight after nearly two and a half hours at the scene.

Some residents were told to return to their homes "for their own safety" after venturing outside to ask police about what had happened.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "It looked like a major incident. They (the police) told us to go back inside and watch from the windows and to make sure our doors were locked.

"We then saw them break in to the house but no one was home. Never seen so much police. There must have been over 20 officers on our road."

What happened?

Lancashire Poice told the Gazette the incident was related to a 'concern for welfare'.

A spokesman for the force said: "There were concerns about a person inside the property and appropriate precautions had to be taken.

"The person concerned wasn’t at the property but the matter has since been resolved. The person was found safely elsewhere."

Lancashire Police confirmed the incident was not related to the search for missing Blackpool man David Butterworth, who escaped from The Harbour mental health hospital in Preston New Road on December 20. The 60-year-old remains missing and Lancashire Police have now issued a CCTV appeal.

You can watch the footage of Mr Butterworth's last known movements in our appeal here.