LONDON (AP) — Police in central England warned the public to stay away from a shopping center where British media reports said a man with a shotgun has taken hostages at a bowling alley Sunday.

The Warwickshire Police department said on Twitter that its officers were dealing Sunday afternoon with an "ongoing incident" at Bermuda Park in Nuneaton, near the city of Birmingham. It did not provide details about the nature of the incident.

Broadcaster Sky News cited an eyewitness from a nearby restaurant who said people at the scene were told of a hostage-taking incident and the restaurant was in lockdown.

"We got notification that someone had a shotgun inside the bowling alley," the witness, Sarah Fleming, told Sky News. "Then we had notification from the police that he actually had hostages.

"Everyone has been a bit up in the air, don't know what's going on," Fleming said. "Everyone is a little bit scared at the minute."

Another witness from the same restaurant, Carl Lenton, described "quite scary" situation unfolding outside.

"There were police cars arriving, there was a helicopter, police dogs, armed police stood all around the bowling alley, around the outside of it," Lenton said.