A gunman who fired shots at a house on a quiet residential Bradford estate was being hunted by police last night.

The suspect, who was wearing a balaclava, ran up to the modern detached house in Yateholm Drive, Clayton Heights, and aimed a shotgun at the front door and a window.

Witnesses reported hearing two large blasts “like fireworks” and seeing a man running away from the house towards a children’s playground late on Tuesday night.

About an hour later, police raided the home, which was unoccupied, and used torches to search inside.

The scene remained behind a police cordon yesterday as forensics officers checked inside the house and in the garden. It is understood the house is owned by a 31-year-old man who lives alone.

A smashed window and gunshot damage to the front door were clearly visible.

Detectives are believed to be examining possible links to another shooting in the city earlier this year.

Next door neighbour Preeti Mistry, 39, said: “I heard a sound like a firework going off twice and that is all we heard.

“There have been police all about and they have cordoned off the area.”

A 33-year-old female resident, who did not want to be named, said: “My husband got up to go to work and he said, ‘my God, the house has been cordoned off and there’s police outside’.”

The woman said there had been police operations in the street over the past few months, including an armed police swoop in February.

“There was enough police in the street to start a war” she said. “There were armed police and about 50 police cars. It was like something you see on TV.”

Bradford South detectives were at the scene yesterday and Neighbourhood Police officers were patrolling the area.

The large cordon remained around the house yesterday and a police forensics van was parked across the road.

A police spokesman said: “Police were called to a report of shots fired in the Clayton Heights area of Bradford.

“Officers attended and found damage to the doors and windows of a house which was consistent with a shotgun discharge.

“A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and inquiries remain ongoing.”

Any witnesses or anyone with information about the attack, which happened at 10pm, should contact Bradford South CID on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.