A MAN has been held by police over a suspected assault on a child in Weymouth.

About eight police – including armed officers – swooped on a house in Walpole Street in the Park District and arrested a 25-year-old man.

The operation came eight hours after a four-year-old girl was treated for minor injuries at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

In a statement, a Dorset Police spokesman said: “Shortly before midnight on Thursday a four-year-old Weymouth girl was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester and found to have minor injuries.

“There is a suspicion that the injuries may have been as a result of an assault.

“Officers attended an address on Walpole Street in Weymouth and shortly after 10.30am on Friday, a 25-year-old Weymouth man was arrested on suspicion of assault.

“He is in custody at Weymouth police station assisting officers with their investigation.

“The operation in Walpole Street was not a firearms incident, although routinely armed officers assisted with gaining entry to the address.”

Neighbours told the Dorset Echo that a heavy police presence arrived in Walpole Street at about 8.30am.

Police dog handlers arrived at the scene at around 10am, before an Armed Response Vehicle with two armed officers joined colleagues about 25 minutes later.

Moments before the man emerged, a police officer brought an Alsatian dog from the van and faced the door of the house while unarmed colleagues stood either side.

Just after 10.30am, the door of the property opened and a man was handcuffed and escorted by two officers into a waiting police van.

Walpole Street resident Mike Hayes said: “It was a bit of a drama for 10 o’clock in the morning.

“I could see the police were waiting for someone to come out of the house.

“A man finally did emerge followed by a police officer.

“He was handcuffed and then led away. There were police dogs and about four police vehicles.”

Mr Hayes said he considered the Park District a safe area.

But he added: “They keep telling us it’s on the up and up but this happened and last Friday there was the business in Chelmsford Street with a man on scaffolding.”

Chairman of the Waterside Weymouth Community Forum Ken Whatley said it was ‘alarming’ to hear that armed police had been in the Park District.

The forum has spearheaded a number of community improvement projects and is working with residents to strengthen social cohesion.

There have been several police incidents in the Park District in the last month including last week’s stand-off with a man who had climbed scaffolding, a fight in Crescent Street and the mugging of pensioner Noreen Bailey which caused outrage.

Mr Whatley maintained the area was safe and praised the police for doing a good job.

The next Melcombe Regis Partners and Communities Together meeting will be on September 28 when the principal issue to be discussed will be the high volume of the Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) in the Park District and the effects on residents by tenants.