Siege man gives himself up

11:03am Sunday 13th July 2008

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A 28-YEAR-old man surrendered to police today after an armed stand-off lasting a number of hours.

Durham Police said part of the centre of Consett was sealed off in the early hours of this morning as part of a 'major containment operation' after man was reported to have a gun.

A spokesman said armed officers were called in after reports the armed man was in a flat above Number One Pizzeria on Front Street - the main route through the town.

He said specialist negotiators were brought in and shortly after 6am a number of people including three men, a woman and two young children came out of the building leaving the alleged gunman alone.

The man surrendered to police shortly before 11am.

The spokesman said: "We can now confirm that, within the last few minutes, a 28-year-old man surrendered himself to police.

"He was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and possessing a firearm and has been taken Consett Police Station for questioning.

"Armed police teams involved in the incident have now been stood down and a search of the premises known as Number One Pizzeria, as well as the flat above, is to be carried out by a specialist police team."