Knife-wielding man arrested

A DRAMATIC standoff involving armed police took place in a quiet residential street last nightafter a knife-wielding man was holed up in a house filled with gas.

Police were called to the house in Blackfriars, Sudbury, at about 5.43pm.

A large exclusion zone, believed to be 100m, was soon set up resulting in large numbers of residents having to be evacuated from their homes. Roads around the area, close to the centre of the town, were cordoned off.

Ambulance and fire crews were also dispatched to the scene and put on standby at the nearby St Gregory's Primary School.

The man eventually left the house shortly before 8pm after being spoken to by trained police negotiators and was detained. Residents say a large police presence soon built up, including armed response officers and police dogs.

Paul Bowles, 44, who lives in nearby Friars Street, said it was worrying.

“I saw armed police turn up with rifles,” he said. “I thought it was a hostage situation when I saw the guns. I was worried at first because the police would not let me through and my wife and kids were in the house. I was told it was too dangerous to go down there.

“It is unusual. I have never seen anything like it here before, it is usually so quiet. It is very rare to have anything like this here.”

Another resident, who lives in Blackfriars, but did not want to be named, said: “I just went to go out in my car and a police man said I had to go back inside the house. The next thing I knew I was told I had to get out. I thought it must be serious, you do not get a dozen police cars turn up for nothing.”

Inspector Mark Larner from Suffolk Constabulary said: “We received a call at 5.43pm to go to an address in Blackfriars, Sudbury, where a male was in a house with the gas on and he was in possession of a knife.

“The immediate area was evacuated and the gas was turned off. The man was spoken to by negotiators and he left the house and was detained for affray.”

A 32-year-old man was arrested by police.