FIRE engines and police cars surrounded Evenlode Tower in Blackbird Leys last night, with onlookers fearing the worst.

At about 5.30pm firefighters and police officers were called to the tower after a member of the public raised the alarm.

But watch manager at Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service Jon Hardy said it was a false alarm.

He said: "If we receive a call, we will treat it like it's an emergency. When we arrived we realised it was a false alarm."

Cowley resident Aashish Sapkota, 18, was picking up his 10-year-old brother from a swimming lesson at Leys Leisure Centre when he noticed the dramatic scene.

He said: "We walked round the corner and there were three or four fire trucks and police too. 

"We weren't too sure what was going on. I couldn't see any smoke. I thought someone could be trapped or trying to jump. We saw a ladder going up really high."

The fire service has reassured residents that it was just a false alarm.