Man, 38, arrested as two-day armed police stand-off in South Shields comes to an end
A 38-year-old man has been arrested following a 40-hour stand-off with armed police in South Shields.
Northumbria Police confirmed that the stand-off, at a block of flats in Lorrain Road, Whiteleas, South Shields, was brought to an end at around 4am in the early hours of this morning.
A man has been arrested and remains in police custody for his involvement in the incident, which started off at around 11am on Tuesday morning.
Superintendent Barrie Joisce, of Northumbria Police, said: “Shortly before 11am on Tuesday, while assisting South Tyneside Council with a gas service warrant, police located a man at an address on Lorrain Road, South Shields, described as being in a distressed state.
“The man had locked himself inside the property and was unwilling to leave.
“At about 3.35am today (Thursday), a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray and is currently in police custody. Nobody was seriously injured.
“We would like to thank the local community – in particular residents who live on the street – for their patience and cooperation over the last 48 hours as officers worked to secure a peaceful resolution."
Adding: “I am pleased that this incident has come to an end, and thankfully, nobody was seriously injured.
“Incidents such as this can cause a considerable amount of disruption to the lives of neighbours and local residents, so I would like to thank them for their patience and cooperation over the last two days.
“This was an operation that involved a number of officers across the Force, and I would like to also thank them for their hard work and dedication.
“A man remains in police custody and is currently assisting officers with their inquiries.”
The block of flats remained closed off yesterday after police spent Tuesday night negotiating with a man inside.
It was reported that officers with shields and police dogs had been seen going into the flats yesterday.
A council spokesman said: "Council officers, with the assistance of Northumbria Police, attended a property on Lorrain Road, South Shields, to gain access to a property as part of our annual Gas Safety Inspections on behalf of South Tyneside Homes."