Armed police, sniffer dogs and forensic teams surrounded a house to arrest a man accused of assaulting his wife.

Pedro Da Silva, of Nottage Crescent, Braintree, had threatened wife Agne the night before with a plastic gun.

The terrified mum, who did not know the gun was a toy, asked her brother to tell police on Sunday, and officers arrived at around 2.50pm.

Da Silva, 38, admitted common assault at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Da Silva was bailed to an address in Colchester until he next appears at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on August 8.

He was bailed on condition he live and sleep at that address, where he will have electronic curfew from 10pm to 6am, and must not contact his wife or go to Nottage Crescent.

See this week's Times for the full story.