A woman was arrested on suspicion of GBH after police were called to a block of flats in Southend.

Following reports of an incident in the Longbow flats in Sherwood Way, armed police attended the scene with paramedics.

Residents reported that somebody had been stabbed in the block, saying they had seen blood on the ninth floor of the building.

Aaron Chesham, whose brother lives on the sixth floor of the flats went to the block at around 11am to find the heavy police presence there.

He said: "Something bad has definitely happened as there were forensics officers there taking out evidence.

"There were quite a few armed response units.

"There were about 15 police officers there and around seven or eight of them were carrying weapons.

"There were also dog units that were sniffing around the block.

"Luckily for my family, they live on the sixth floor and they normally come to stay with us over the weekend.

"The police were not letting anybody in or out of the building while they were inside."

The incident happened before a man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and assault in the very same block.

The two events are not believed to be connected.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "A woman has been arrested on suspicion of GBH after a man in his 50s was assaulted inside a flat in Sherwood Way, Southend.

"We were called at 3am this morning, Saturday, June 2, with reports of a man receiving a number of cuts to body believed to have been caused by a knife and glass.

"The man was taken to hospital for treatment and was released at around 8am.

"The woman, aged 42 from Southend, remains in custody."

The East of England Ambulance Service released a statement following the incident.

A spokesman said: "We were called at 3.24am on Saturday 2nd June to reports of an altercation in Sherwood Way, Southend.

"An ambulance and ambulance officer attended and treated a man, believed to be in his 50s, for head, chest and abdomen injuries.

"He was taken to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment."