ALTON police officers were put on red alert on Tuesday after receiving a call reporting that a woman was being held against her will at knifepoint by her boyfriend.
The woman had telephoned her workplace to inform them of the incident, who subsequently alerted the police at 1-45 pm.
The police assembled the standard response to armed abduction reports, and dispatched as many officers as possible to the address in Wickham Close. A police spotter plane was also dispatched.
When officers arrived at 3-30 pm, they found that the couple had settled their differences and and had left the house to go to Alton Sports Centre.
The man was later detained by police, but no further action was taken.