A GUN scare brought rail services to a halt for four hours.

Thousands of people were delayed after police were called to reports of a gunman firing shots near a section of track.

Services - operated by First ScotRail, Virgin Trains and London Midland - were brought to a standstill at 7.30pm, with passengers heading to and from Scotland among those effected.

Passengers on one train bound for Rugby reported an announcement that a gunman had been taking pot shots at trains and journeys would be severely delayed.

But police later said ball bearings had been fired at a lorry in the area.

At 11.25pm, Network Rail said services were back on the move but that journeys may be delayed.

They included the 21.15 First ScotRail sleeper from London Euston to Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William, which left more than two hours late.

A spokesman for Virgin Trains said services were expected to resume as normal today.

Armed officers were deployed to an industrial area by Hunters Lane in Rugby, Warwickshire, in a search for a suspected gunman seen locally to be taking pot shots at train carriages and a police helicopter.

The guard said the whole area was a crime scene and was sealed off Police initially would not confirm the shooting incident but said there are no reports of any injuries.

The area was close to the town's railway station and West Coast Main Line, which is central to services between London, the west Midlands, north-west England, north Wales and Scotland.

Armed officers, a police helicopter and dogs were sent to the scene to "ensure the safety of officers working on the railway line and the train passengers", said police.