Four West End actors in Hither Green had the surprise of their life on Friday as armed police raided their home looking for a gun - after neighbours mistook their rehearsal for a real attack.

Some 15 armed officers were involved in the raid at around 11.30pm on Friday 18, after neighbours reportedly heard someone "pleading for their life" actor Simon Gordon said on Facebook.

Mr Gordon, 25, was rehearsing ahead of an audition for a part in the Carole King musical Beautiful with his housemate Joel Harper-Jackson when the police arrived.

This Is Local London:

Fellow housemate Marios Nicolaides, posted on Twitter: "The fact the boys were watching #FromHereToEternity on TV while I was hanging up washing was a bit of a giveaway it was a false alarm!"

According to the Mail Online, the fourth housemate Rory Taylor got the biggest fright as he came out of his room to a wall of riot shields.

This Is Local London:

Marios Nicolaides (c.) Twitter.