A MAN was arrested this morning (Thursday, January 15) after a two-hour house siege involving armed police.

Officers surrounded a terraced house in Gray Avenue, off Second Avenue, in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, at about 9.30am

The man inside was believed to have a knife and suspected to have tried to rob a Sainsbury’s store a short distance away in The Avenue a couple of hours earlier.

No-one was hurt in the attempted robbery or the siege.

Seven police vehicles were dispatched to Gray Avenue and dog handlers were among the officers deployed to the incident.

The man inside the house refused to let in the officers but the stand-off ended when officers with dogs went in to the house and arrested the man, who was alone, at about 11.30am.

The man, who is aged 20, is being held at Durham City police station and is due to be interviewed in due course.

After the man was arrested officers stayed at the scene to search the house.

A police spokeswoman said that officers went to the house after they received a call from a member of the public raising concerns..

“Following a call from a concerned member of the public about the safety of a man in a house in Gray Avenue, Chester-le-Street, armed officers have been dispatched to the scene. “The report suggested the man, who is believed to be alone in the property, is in possession of a knife. The call came in at about 9.45am.”

She added that a woman had been in the house but left at about the time that police arrived. She had not been threatened by the man.

"A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of an attempted armed robbery at Sainsbury's in The Avenue, Chester-le-Street, at about 7.30am this morning.

"No one was injured in that incident. If anyone witnessed any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the shop at around that time they are asked to contact Durham police on 101.

"Thank you very much to local people for their patience while we were dealing with the incident in Gray Avenue this morning."