A TWO-HOUR siege by armed police ended peacefully early yesterday after reports that a woman was being threatened by a man with a knife.

Officers surrounded a house divided into flats in Castlegate, Malton, North Yorkshire, at about 2am and stayed there until the situation was resolved at about 4am.

An armed response unit was among those who attended.

A police spokesman said a man was carrying a kitchen knife during the incident, which is thought to have been a domestic dispute.

"The woman had waved a knife out of the window and so the police had shields and wore protective gear," said the spokesman.

"The woman in the flat called the police, but I believe she does not want to make a complaint."

A man was arrested and taken to Scarborough police station.