A siege that has continued for more than ten hours in Weston-super-Mare today began when they tried to arrest a man but he threw fireworks from his window and threatened police.
More details have emerged about what started the incident in the Weston suburb of West Wick this morning.
Neighbours said they heard a loud bang in the street, and then armed police descended on the scene.
UPDATES: Latest on the stand-off in Weston as siege enters its 11th hour
As of 9.30pm today, Tuesday, January 25, Avon and Somerset police were continuing to negotiate with the man, but revealed more details of what happened at 11am this morning when the stand-off began.
A statement from the police said they had initially gone to the address in Turnock Gardens to arrest the man for 'multiple offences', but he wouldn't leave the house, and wouldn't let them in. And then the situation escalated.
"When the man refused to leave officers forced the front door to find objects obstructing the entrance," a spokesperson for the police said. "A pyrotechnic device was subsequently thrown out of a window prompting the officers to withdraw and call for additional resources."
Those arrived in the form of armed police officers, along with fire and ambulance personnel, and the stand-off began, which continued through the afternoon and long into the evening.
A large section of Turnock Gardens has been cordoned off and a number of the man's neighbours have been evacuated as a precaution.
Police said they were trying to negotiate with the man, and they were involved colleagues in the mental health crisis team.
"The officers include highly trained negotiators who are working hard to get the man to come out and to bring the incident to a safe conclusion," said a police spokesperson.
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"Armed officers are also at the scene as a precautionary measure due to threats made towards officers and the belief there are weapons within the property. A cordon is currently in place around the property and will remain while the police operation continues," he added.
The woman in charge of the stand-off situation said she was grateful to neighbours involved.
Chief inspector Jess Aston added: "This is an isolated incident and one which we don’t believe poses a risk to the wider public.
"Negotiators have made contact with the man while we’re liaising very closely with our colleagues in the mental health crisis team, as well as other emergency services who are at the scene, to ensure his safety," she added.
"While we deal with the incident we’ve asked residents in a small number of neighbouring properties to vacate their homes as a precaution and our local authority colleagues continue to liaise with them should they need any support.
"We recognise the disruption and inconvenience this has caused and we’re grateful for the understanding those affected have shown.
"We hope to bring this incident to a safe conclusion as quickly as we can," she added.
You can follow all the latest updates on the situation here
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