Armed police officers closed off a Monmouth housing estate on New Year's Eve, after receiving allegations in a telephone call about a local pensioner.

However, The Beacon can exclusively reveal, the call was a hoax and the pensioner, Mr Jack Roocroft (78), did not have a gun, as the caller had claimed.

Local people have told this paper that Mr Roocroft, who has leukaemia and is receiving chemotherapy treatment, was terrified that he was going to be shot by the police officers.

What is clear is that the terrified pensioner was eventually persuaded by a close friend to leave the house, in Troy Way. He was seized by officers and spent the night in the cells at Abergavenny Police Station.

For what happened next, see The Monmouthshire Beacon issue dated January 7th 2009.