POLICE sealed off a Suffolk street last night as specialist officers negotiated with a man seen brandishing what was believed to be a samurai sword.Emergency services were called to Woodside View Avenue, in Honington, at about 3.

POLICE sealed off a Suffolk street last night as specialist officers negotiated with a man seen brandishing what was believed to be a samurai sword.

Emergency services were called to Woodside View Avenue, in Honington, at about 3.30pm by members of the public.

The man, whose age and identity is unknown, was seen pointing a bladed article from the residential property.

A stand-off lasting six hours ensued as the man refused to leave the house and give up his weapon, amid fears he could harm himself.

He finally left the property at 9.30pm and was arrested on suspicion of affray. The man, who is from Honington, was being held at Bury St Edmunds police station.

Lisa Miller, spokeswoman for Suffolk police, said: “Officers from Suffolk police were called to Woodside View Avenue, in Honington, following a report that a man was inside the property with what appeared to be a samurai sword.

“Police were called about 3.30pm. The area around the property was cordoned off and specialist negotiators spoke with the man.

“There were no reports of anyone else inside the property.”

Ambulance crews were also called to the scene but did not treat anyone for any injuries. They remained on standby until the stand-off was resolved.

The area around the property at the centre of the incident, near to the RAF Honington base, was cordoned off as police made efforts to resolve the situation.

Sean Traynor, landlord of the Fox Inn, in Troston Road, Honington, said the incident was a hot topic of conversation among regulars in his pub.

He said: “Apparently there was an incident of some kind but nobody knows anything more than that there was a lot of police cars all around.

“From what I've heard the incident happened in the married quarters, near to the base. This is where people who work on the airbase live with their families. But it's outside the actual line of the base and we don't know the person involved or whether he works on the base.

“The police helicopter has been around too but there doesn't seem to be any information. People were curious about what was happening.”