A MENTALLY ill man brandished a weapon at people enjoying a night out in Guisborough.

The incident happened in Westgate on Friday when the man in his 30s, who was said to be in a depressed state, insinuated to police he was going to harm people.

One eyewitness said he was brandishing either a gun or a knife.

The area was closed off for 10 minutes while a trained police negotiator was brought in to talk to the man, who has not been identified.

The man came out of a house unharmed and was taken into custody under mental health legislation. An armed response unit was also at the scene.

A spokesman for Cleveland Police said the man was taken to St Luke's Hospital in Middlesbrough and later released back into police custody for other matters relating to the incident. He was released without further action.

The spokesman said no-one was hurt in the incident and described it as 'low key effort.'