POLICE were last night questioning a man arrested after an armed siege lasting more than eight hours.

The stand-off in the normally quiet cul-de-sac started when a man facing eviction allegedly threatened bailiffs and police officers with a samurai sword.

Armed officers and police dog handlers converged on Railway Close, in Sherburn Village, near Durham City, at 11am yesterday, after the 33- year-old man, named locally as Gareth Bowen, locked himself in the house.

Trained negotiators worked through the day and the siege ended at about 6.30pm.

A witness described hearing a loud noise, following which a man was led out of the house in handcuffs.

A police spokesman last night said: “The occupant was arrested after a brief disturbance inside the address.”

He added that there were no serious injuries to the suspect or the officers involved.

A number of bladed weapons, including a samurai sword were removed from the property.

A neighbour, who witnessed the start of the incident, said: “The first thing I saw was the bailiffs arrive.

The next thing the police were there and then the armed response officers and dogs turned up.

“I spoke to one of the bailiffs who told me he had a locksmith come and drill out the lock in the conservatory.

“He walked in and thought he saw a reflection in the glass, but on the other side was a man dressed in a full samurai outfit holding a samurai sword.”

The man at the centre of the siege was described by other neighbours – none of whom wished to be named – as a virtual recluse since being made redundant about three years ago.

One neighbour said: “He owns the house but has fallen on hard times.

“He is a single man who lives by himself, who has found himself in a bit of a rut.

“He likes his privacy. He will be terrified by what is going on.”

The man, who was described as dressing like a Goth, had a German girlfriend for a while and ran a website.

He could sometimes be seen in Durham carrying a billboard advertising his site.

Another neighbour said: “He had fallen on hard times and would live on £1 a day. He would often be seen walking to the local shops and coming back with a bag.

“Neighbours used to leave food parcels outside his house to help him get by.”