Police, fire and paramedics were involved in a one-hour standoff with a man in a flat who was believed to have a weapon.

Paramedics called police to Trafalgar Street in Norwich at 1.17pm, and three fire crews, from Carrow, Earlham and Sprowston were called soon afterwards.

A fire service spokesman said they were called to what was described as a building fire at 1.26pm, and arrived four minutes later.

Police said they were called about 'concerns for the safety of a man at an address', who then started to make threats. A police spokesman said it looked as if he had a weapon.

The stand-off centred on a third storey flat, and came to an end when police led the man out of the flat at 2.20pm.

The man, wearing blue jeans and a SuperDry hoodie top, apologised to the members of the emergency services, saying he knew they were worried about him.

Police wearing blue forensic gloves searched a plastic Boots bag that he carried with him.

He was led into an ambulance, and appeared to be relaxed and happily taking to paramedics.

A police spokesman said he was detained and taken to hospital for treatment, and added that a dining knife appeared to have been involved in the stand off.

Karl Plant, who lives in nearby Southwell Street, said the man had set a newspaper on fire outside the window, and let it fall to the ground. Burned pages of the Daily Mirror were later found on the lawn below.

However, Mr Plant said he did not see any evidence of any fire inside the building.

He said: 'They were trying to talk him down and take him in an ambulance. He did not know who to trust.'

He added: 'The police were quite calm about it, really.'

A neighbour, who lives of the same stairwell and did not give his name, said: 'He is a nice bloke. That is all I have got to say.'

The ambulance and remaining members of the emergency services left the scene at 2.47pm.