RESIDENTS have spoken of their terror following a gun attack and police raid on a quiet South Ockendon close after a house was reportedly shot at.

Gunshots broke out last Thursday night on ‘usually quiet’ Peartree Close in South Ockendon.

Terrified residents reported seeing two men and a woman point a gun at a first-floor flat on the left hand side of the close, then flee the scene on pedal bikes.

Bullets were found on a doorstep and a glass door was shattered by the shots.

Four police cars, forensics and an armed force SWAT team were called following the shootings.

Neighbours added they suspected the involvement of drugs, but it has not yet been confirmed by police if drugs were involved in the shooting.

A resident said the face-off was ‘terrifying’. She said: “It was really scary. We just were sleeping and we heard a very, very loud sound and we rushed to the window.

“My husband saw two males and one female, they were running and took bikes and ran away.

“It was scary because we thought it was someone doing fireworks but later we saw police everywhere, all over the place, and we understood that something happened.

“We have lived here for years.

"Every day people are coming for one guy, maybe they buy drugs or something like this.

“It does worry us because we have children and police are coming, sometimes there is fighting with one girl and a knife.

“There was shouting, neighbours called police and then they arrested him.”

“This time, I was scared for my children because they are sometimes coming here too late and we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

One resident who said she saw the shooting but was afraid of reprisals just said: “We are all really, really scared around here.”

Another neighbour spoke of their shock at realising there was a gun on her close.

She said: “I was lying in bed and heard a loud noise like a gun shot then I heard it again.

“I just thought no, it can’t be a gun in my area.

“Then I heard a neighbour calling someone and saying that a gun has just been fired twice at someone’s door.

“Someone replied there are bullets on my door step and it has shattered my glass on the door.

“Shortly after the police turned up about four cars and some unmarked cars. The swat team and forensic team was there and the road was blocked.”

One elderly woman who did not wish to be named said it was ‘unusual’ for the estate, and that it was usually Belhus Estate that was known for drugs.

She said: “There are a lot of elderly and vulnerable women living on their own around here and something like this is just really worrying.”

A spokesman for Essex Police said detectives were “investigating”.

He said: “Detectives are investigating an incident in Peartree Close after residents reported hearing what they believed to be a gunshot just after 10.10pm on Thursday, August 18.

“Specialist firearms officers attended in response to the report and an area search was conducted although no suspects were found.

“Officers discovered some damage to the glass above one of the doors.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Grays CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.