A man was in hospital under armed guard last night after being shot in woods near Thongsbridge.

And forensic experts were combing a wood just yards from a main road after the incident yesterday.

The injured man was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds which were described by police as “non life-threatening”.

Detectives were giving away little but a large number of police were involved in the inquiry, which centred  on Hagg Wood, just off the Woodhead Road.

The scene was within a hundred yards of a murder inquiry back in March 2012 .

Local man Kenneth Bill, who lived in a detached house at the top of Hagg Wood, is s erving 22 years in jail for killing love rival and former police officer John Hay and disposing of his body at his remote home.

Yesterday, the main road between Honley and Thongsbridge was sealed off for several hours and traffic was diverted through Brockholes and Netherthong.

Yesterday evening, lines of blue and white police tape had been set up in the woods, close

 to Hagg Dike and just 50 yards from the road.

Police evidence markers were on the floor and officers in protective clothing continued to search a wooded track.

Several police vans and cars were parked up along the main road.

Det Insp Andy Leonard, of Kirklees CID, said: “We received a call at 12.30pm to say a man had been injured in an incident.

“It is too early to give details of his age or his injuries, but they are non life-threatening.

“The investigation centres on an area of Hagg Wood and we have search teams at the scene.”