People in the area at the time of the incident said they were shocked by what had happened.

Gareth James, 28, who lives in Abersychan but is originally from New Inn, said: “I saw the ambulance go in and then the police helicopter arrived.

“The police wouldn’t let me get my van out from the car park where I work because they were searching the area.

“You don’t expect something like this to happen in New Inn, maybe in other areas, but not here, it’s normally very quiet here.”

Pat McGrail, 66, who lives two doors away from the business park where the incident happened said: “The first thing I heard was the police arriving and then the helicopter. I was having my driveway paved but the lorries couldn’t get down the road so the work couldn’t be carried out.

“Police explained that they wouldn’t allow them in.

"It is really worrying that it should happen. We are going to have to be extra cautious and make sure our doors are locked at night.”

"It’s unbelievable to have something like this happen on our doorstep," said Marian Rogers, 42, from New Inn.

"There are lots of rumours going round about what’s happened, I’ve heard someone’s been shot during a robbery and that there was a fire. It’s all very dramatic."

Geoff Hillier, 72, also from New Inn, said: "I couldn’t believe it when I came down the road and saw police everywhere. Everyone’s talking about it. It makes you wonder whether you’re safe when you don’t know what’s going on."