Armed officers and a police helicopter were scrambled to an Army base after three people were reportedly seen with a rifle nearby.

Police were called to the “suspicious incident” near Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, at 17:00 BST on Thursday. The area around the barracks, on the Salisbury Plain, was searched but no suspects were located.

Mayor of Tidworth, Chris Franklin, said there would be a “harder presence” at the camp’s gates in light of the alert.

The Ministry of Defence has not commented on the level of threat at Bulford, but a spokesperson said security remained of “paramount importance”. Inspector Barry Hickman, from Wiltshire Police, said: “I can confirm the police attended a report of a suspicious incident close to a military barracks in Wiltshire. “Police officers conducted a search of the area with the assistance of the police helicopter. No persons were located.”

An overnight lockdown has been lifted.

Reporter Karen Gardner said while it appeared to be “business as normal” at the base on Friday morning, security around the camp appeared to be heightened. It comes after the attempted abduction of a serviceman at RAF Marham in Norfolk on Wednesday. The camp is one of a crescent of military bases in the area, including Tidworth and Larkhill, and around a third of the Army is based in these camps including the Royal Signals and the Royal Military Police. Bulford will also be home to the 5th Battalion The Rifles who are in the process of relocating to Wiltshire from Germany.