ARMED police officers were called out in Newport after ball bearings were fired at council workmen.

Three contracted council workers were re-paving Vancouver Drive in the Glasllwch area of the city at lunchtime on Thursday when they came under attack from an unseen source.

Although the three men were unhurt, a member of the public contacted police who sent five response vehicles and armed officers to the scene before they established it was not a firearms incident.

Andrew Green, one of the three workers who were shot, at said the incident happened around 12pm, shortly after he had argued with a man about a maintenance vehicle blocking the road.

The workers said the man asked them to move the lorry, before he became annoyed and drove off. Minutes later, ball bearings began to bounce off the garage doors of homes near where the men were working.

Gwent police confirmed they had sent a team of armed officers to Vancouver Drive as a standard response to a possible firearms incident, but after searching the area they were unable to find anyone.

No arrests were made, but officers did find a number of ball bearings which they think were launched from a home made catapult.

No one was hurt and no damage was caused to any properties or vehicles.

The three men, who are contracted to the city council, were back at work on Vancouver Drive yesterday.

A spokeswoman for Newport city council said it was investigating the incident.