Police have today explained their actions following an armed incident in Cromer which lasted more than five hours but did not lead to anyone being charged.

Armed officers and police dogs surrounded a bungalow at 23 Brownshill on Saturday morning after reports that a man had been making threats. Nobody else was believed to have been in the property.

Police first arrived at the scene at about 10.45am and, after a fruitless standoff outside, five armed officers entered it at about 1.30pm.

They emerged alone about 20 minutes later and began a search of the surrounding area. At 3.50pm they arrested a man at another property in Cromer.

Yesterday a police spokesman said no further action would be taken against the man.

At one point during the stand-off there were 10 police vehicles in the quiet residential road.

The police spokesman said: 'There was every indication, at the time of the incident, he was still in the premises. In such situations, the policy is to engage and negotiate with the individual before entering the property.

'The absence of any such engagement with the individual then prompted officers to enter and conduct a methodical and thorough search. Enquiries were also made at other houses in the same area, including a neighbouring property.'

He said the safety of all concerned was the priority and such incidents were tightly managed, under strict protocols, which took time.

'The operational activity was deemed necessary to ensure a safe and peaceful resolution, enabling the community to return to daily life. We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding during the incident,' he added.