ARMED police officers sealed off a town centre street in a major hunt for a gun toting gang.

Seven people were arrested as about 40 police officers swooped on addresses in Middlesbrough yesterday.

Officers sealed off Union Street and also went to Regent Road in the Beechwood area of the town.

'Operation Roulette' was in response to an alleged shooting incident in Aubrey Street on Wednesday - revealed by police for the first time yesterday - which resulted in a 29-year-old man undergoing surgery for a gun shot wound to a leg.

A 29-year-old man was arrested at a house in Union Street on suspicion of fire arms and assault offences in connection with the shooting yesterday. A further five men and women were arrested at the same address for a combination of suspected drugs supply and fire arms offences.

All are being held at Middlesbrough police station where they were being questioned yesterday.

In Regent Road a man was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. Detailed searches for evidence of the shooting and illegally held weapons were carried out at a number of undisclosed addresses in Middlesbrough yesterday.

In the case of Union Street a search for drugs was also made.

Middlesbrough CID head, Detective Superintendent Adrian Roberts, who co-ordinated the police action, said: "We will not tolerate fire arms on the streets of Middlesbrough and this response shows our resolve to tackle those who consider themselves above the law.

"Doubtless we will find this is linked to drugs activity and we will continue in our efforts to shut down dealers and their houses.''

Earlier this year police raided a number of addresses including a house in Walpole Street, which runs off Union Street, and seized 250 rocks of crack cocaine with a street value of £6,000. Twenty people were arrested, charged and have appeared in court.

DS Roberts has pioneered a continuing crackdown on drug dealers, vowing to arrest a dealer a day, in a bid to clean up the town.