A man has been arrested after allegedly being spotted in possession of a firearm outside a County Down church. 

Police were called after reports of a person using an angle grinder on a fixture outside the church in the Newtownards Road area of Bangor on Thursday evening.

Members of a church group approached the man and reportedly spotted a firearm in his pocket.

In a press release, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Superintendent Johnston McDowell said an armed response unit was dispatched.

"Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene alongside Armed Response colleagues. The suspect, a man aged 36, was located at a nearby address," McDowell said.

"He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances and criminal damage, and remains in custody at this time."

The PSNI are appealing to the public for any further information regarding the incident.