A man has been charged after a woman was believed to have been shot with a gun in Southampton.

Police were called out following reports of an 'altercation' taking place inside an address on Hill Lane at around 4.45am on Tuesday.

Officers descended on the address, and then found a woman in her 50s a short time later with a serious injury to her arm.

A police spokesman said it was 'believed to have been caused by a firearm'.

She was taken to hospital for treatment, and remains there in a stable condition.

There was a significant update this morning, when police charged a 46-year-old man in connection with what happened.

Delroy Smith, of Hill Lane, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

A police spokesman said: "He has been remanded into custody and is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court this morning."

The incident sparked a major police investigation, with officers searching Hill Lane, Milton Road and Wilton Avenue on Tuesday.

Sniffer dogs were spotted in Milton Road, and crime scene investigators joined their police colleagues.

One woman, who has lived in the block of flats on Milton Road for 10 years, said on Tuesday: “I opened my blind at just after 7 this morning - there were a few police cars.

"I then saw several police officers coming in so I went down and just as you get out the lift and turn left on the ground floor the police taped it off.”

Also on Tuesday, officers also cordoned off a black Vauxhall Corsa in Cracknore Road, Freemantle, which was parked outside the Key & Anchor pub - around 1.3 miles away from Hill Lane, and a six minute car journey.

It has since been towed away.

Police said they could not confirm where the woman was found.

The searches continued on Wednesday, with police returning to Cracknore Road to do door-to-door enquiries.