A MAN is due to appear in court today following an eight-hour stand-off in Darlington.

Richard Anthony Barnes, 51, was charged with affray, criminal damage and three counts of assaulting a police officer following the stand-off at a property in The Causeway, Darlington.

He is due to appear at Peterlee Magistrates' Court this morning.

Police were called to the property at around 11.30pm on Wednesday night after a resident reported hearing a disturbance at his neighbour’s property.

Armed officers and police dogs attended the scene, where they found a man inside the house who was being aggressive and uncooperative.

A spokesman for Durham Police said specially trained negotiators were also called to the scene, and the house was cordoned off.  

“There were also initial concerns there may have been another person at risk inside the house," he added.

“It was soon established there was no-one else inside the house and police negotiators were called out.

“During the protracted negotiations during the night police also requested fire and rescue to attend due to concerns about the gas supply in the property.”

The man was arrested after he eventually agreed to come out of his property at 8.15am.

One resident of The Causeway, who did not want to be named, described a large emergency services presence during the incident.

He said: “I tried to go down The Causeway the way I usually go, but it was cordoned off and the police stopped me from getting past.

“They said I had to go the other way, via The Broadway.

“There was about three or four police vans, fire crews and there was an ambulance there too.

“Whatever it was, it seemed to have gone on for a long time.”

Francis Jones, of Sparta Security, who was in the area at the time said: "It was absolutely mental. I was patrolling the area and was about half a mile down the street when I heard shouting and screaming. I first thought it was a fight or something.

"I got there just as the armed police got there. The police were very good. They had self-discipline, self-control and were very professional. They worked well as a team."