A MAJOR swoop by armed police in balaclavas was part of a bid to target suspected robbers.

At least a dozen plain-clothes officers armed with guns and with their faces covered moved in to pin down a number of men on Manchester Road in Linthwaite on Thursday evening.

Shocked shop staff and residents were ordered to lock themselves inside their premises as West Yorkshire Police carried out several arrests.

Detectives have released few details about the nature of their investigation.

But yesterday a spokesman confirmed four men had been arrested.

He said: “A 32-year-old man and three 30-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery and are currently in custody.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

Three of the men are from Leeds and one is from Bradford.

The drama unfolded at about 8.45pm on Thursday when police in unmarked vehicles stopped a car, thought to have been travelling from the Manchester direction towards Huddersfield, outside the Co-operative shop.

Officers shouted at Shazad Nazim, the shop’s shift manager, to lock himself and his staff inside.

A witness described what happened.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: “There were at least a dozen police and about four unmarked cars.

“I saw two men on the ground, they weren’t putting up a fight.

“Police had Tasered them and one was on the ground with the officer kneeling on top of him.

“We didn’t know what was going on, but it was obvious it was serious.

“Usually it’s quiet around here, but this was like something out of a cop show.”

The arrested men were bundled into police fans before being taken away at about 9.30pm.

The police would not reveal why officers were wearing balaclavas.

Investigations are continuing into a failed bank robbery in Lindley.

A 23-year-old, from Paddock, is on bail after being arrested following the raid at Yorkshire Building Society on Acre Street on Tuesday afternoon.

Two men in dark clothes and hooded tops demanded cash from staff but escaped empty-handed after security shutters were activated.

Police are appealing for information, including details about a green saloon car seen on nearby Reinwood Road at about the time of the incident.

Anyone with information should call Det Con Mark Lunn at Huddersfield CID on 01484 436684.