A house at the centre of a County Durham 'police stand off' has been left with a hole in its roof after a man barricaded himself inside the property for five hours. 

Emergency services were called to Auckland Terrace in Shildon at about 3pm on Wednesday (December 27), following reports that a man, 28, had entered a property and barricaded himself into the loft space of the house.

Police officers, including a specialist negotiator, were called to the scene, while the house was fully cordoned off after fears he was carrying a knife. 

The entirety of Auckland Terrace was blocked off for the duration of the incident to allow police and fire service units to work at the scene.

On Wednesday (December 27) evening, Durham Police confirmed that the man had surrendered to police and was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary and making threats to damage or destroy property.

He remains in police custody at this time. 

A spokesperson for Durham Police added: “We would like to thank residents for their patience and cooperation while we worked to bring the incident to a safe conclusion."

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have also confirmed its attendance at the incident - but said that it was police who were the lead in the investigation. 

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A spokesperson for the fire service said: "We were called to assist police at 3.45pm... at Auckland Terrace Shildon. Two appliances from Bishop Auckland, Darlington and our Ariel Ladder Platform attended the incident. They left the scene at 8.07pm.”

Local police in Shildon have also moved to reassure the public about the safety of the community. 

Officers from Shildon will be at West Close community centre, Shildon, today (Thursday) at 6pm to discuss the incident and address any concerns people may have.

Shildon Police have also confirmed that they are supporting the victim of the incident in Auckland Terrace.

Officers from the neighbourhood team have said that there is a hole in the roof and the rain is pouring in.

If any roofers can help, they are asked to contact Sgt Boyd on 101, ext 201430 or andrew.boyd@durham.police.uk.