THE former councillor at the centre of a 35-hour siege was in hospital last night after his health deteriorated.
Maurice Kellett, 60, was finally taken from his home at Colliery Lane, Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland, just before midnight on Tuesday following a stand-off with police.
It began when bailiffs called to serve an eviction notice, at about 1pm on Monday, and Mr Kellett barricaded himself in.
He told police he had doused himself with petrol and threatened to harm himself with a samurai sword if they forced their way in. Officers eventually broke down his door.
It emerged last night that due to health problems, officers had been unable to interview Mr Kellett, who has diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis. His condition was last night being assessed in Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article