A POLICE force has apologised after terrifying garage staff and their customers.

Armed Cleveland police officers rushed on to the forecourt of the Hartshead Services, on the M62 in West Yorkshire, without warning.

Staff and onlookers stood open- mouthed as officers rushed a car and ordered its occupants out at gunpoint.

A witness said: "Two guys had driven in to fill up - or so we thought. All of a sudden, armed police ran up to the car and, at gunpoint, made the men get out. Everyone was shocked because they had guns and we thought it was real.''

Last night, a spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said it had been a training exercise and that to have given the garage advanced warning would have removed the "real life" aspect of the training.

"The service station staff were spoken to at the time and informed it was an exercise, but it is not pertinent to give advanced warning of such events," she said.