Four men invaded a Southampton home in an armed attack yesterday afternoon.

Two of the men brandished firearms as they entered the residence near Henry VIII Restaurant.

The homeowner was home at the time but not injured in the incident, which took place around 12.10pm.

Police were last night said to be looking into the reason behind the attack.

Bunches of balloons hung in the driveway of the South Road home when this newspaper visited the property yesterday afternoon.

A woman who answered the door at the house said they were there for her birthday.

She said of the earlier disturbance: “I can't comment. The police are looking into it now.”

The attack was later confirmed by police.

Said a spokesman: “From the initial investigation it would appear that four men gained entry into the home, with two of the men brandishing what appeared to be firearms. The occupant was not injured and the intruders fled the scene on foot. The police are looking into a number of potential motives for the attack.”

Area residents expressed shock that an armed attack happened in their normally quiet neighbourhood.

A person from the house next door said: “I was here all day but I heard nothing see no evil, hear no evil. There's crime everywhere these days. I've been living here 15 years. We had a couple incidents years ago in the area, but nothing recent, nothing like this.

“I heard there was a home invasion but that's about it. I've been home all day doing work and I didn't hear anything outside.”

Two other neighbours said they were unsure what had happened beyond an unexpected police presence earlier in the afternoon.

One woman said: “I've lived in Southampton for eight years, and I've lived here on this road for eight months. I'm definitely shocked. Nothing like this has happened here.”

The suspects in the attack are described as black males in their late teens to early twenties. All are said to be of slim build and wearing helmets and blue jeans at the time.

It is not known if anything was taken from the house during the incident.

The attack follows a spate of armed burglaries over the weekend. In the early hours of Friday, an intruder carrying a bladed article was confronted by the occupant of a Mount Langton Crescent, Pembroke residence and fled empty-handed.

At 5.25am Friday a burglar with a bladed article was chased from a Friswells Road, Devonshire home,

And an intruder fled a Mount Hill, Pembroke home at 11.45pm Thursday following a confrontation with its occupant.

A police spokesman warned the public that the best course of action was not to challenge a potentially armed housebreaker.

He said: “Our standard line is if someone is breaking into a house or has gained entry, whether it's apparent they're armed or not, you should not engage that person. You don't know their state of mind or if they're armed. The safest line is to call police at the earliest possibility.

“Exactly how that's done depends on the situation. Some would stay in the house and call; some would leave with a phone and call us. Some people will decide they're willing to stand their ground. But contacting police is what we advise because your life is the most important thing, not possessions.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset Criminal Investigation Unit on 234-1010, or Crime Stoppers Bermuda on 800-8477.