People are being urged to avoid a village after armed officers were deployed to deal with an assault which has left one in hospital.

Police said officers had responded to an incident in Aberfan, South Wales, where schools and a community centre have closed as a precaution.

One person was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment.

The incident took place on Moy Road and people have been told to avoid the area.

“Emergency services are responding to a serious assault that took place on Moy Road, Aberfan, Merthyr, just before 9.10am this morning,” a South Wales Police spokesman said.

“Armed officers are in the area, and we request that people avoid the area so that we can effectively deal with this incident.”

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman added: “We sent one emergency ambulance, one air ambulance and one Cymru high acuity response unit to the scene where advanced critical care support was delivered by the emergency medical retrieval and transfer service.

“We conveyed one patient by road to University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff for further treatment.”

Greenfield School, a special needs school, said all perimeter gates have been locked and pupils were being kept indoors.

The Trinity Childcare and Family Centre has also locked its doors, with all staff and children safe inside.

The Wellbeing community centre has also said it is closed until further notice.