Armed police swooped on a property in Brookfield following reports of a person with a firearm - which turned out to be a paintball gun.

Officers armed with rifles were spotted on the corner of Kingswood Road and Clifton Terrace around 4pm.

Armed police seen on the corner of Kingswood Road and Clifton Terrace yesterday afternoon.

Bay of Plenty Police communications manager Kim Perks says a member of the public phoned police after seeing a woman walking with what appeared to be a rifle.

'We were called to reports of a female in a backyard with what appeared to be a rifle,” says Kim.

'Police attended and located a female in her own yard with a paintball gun.”

Kim says the armed offenders' squad was not called to the incident.