Neighbours’ dramatic accounts of Newton Flotman siege drama

End of Netwon Flotman siege. Pic Chris Thompson. (Image: Archant)

Norfolk police were called to Newton Flotman, near Norwich, to claims that a man had damaged a vehicle parked in Alan Avenue.

A short while later the man went into a nearby home and was reported to be in a distressed state, making threats and refusing to leave the premises.

Officers from the police's armed response units and police negotiators went to the property, where no one else was believed to be present, and spent hours trying to bring the incident to an end.

The incident, which started at about 8pm on Monday was finally brought to an end at about 2am yesterday when a man in his late 20s was arrested.

Police advised people to stay indoors as they tried to end the siege which was witnessed by a number of shocked neighbours.

A 46 year-old man, who has lived in Alan Avenue since 2002 but did not want to be named, said he was shocked and surprised about what he had seen.

He said: 'My wife called the police at about 8pm. She heard banging, like a car door being shut but it just carried on.

'We looked out the window and saw a bloke kicking the car. My wife looked out and got a good look at him and called the police.'

He said the incident with the car, which belonged to a woman who was away at the moment, lasted about 20 minutes before the stand-off started.

The witness said: 'He was shouting and swearing until police arrested him.

'There must have been about 10 police cars and police dogs.

'There was lots of shouting going on. I went to bed at about 11pm and he still had his head out of the window.

'There was a police negotiator. I don't know whether they were sure if anyone else was in there with him but there wasn't.

'He had his head out of the upstairs window and was shouting and swearing.'

He said he did not really know the man but thought he had been living in a rented property in the area for about six months.

The witness said: 'It's quite worrying, someone like that walking around and we didn't even know he was there.'

He said his wife was a 'little bit concerned' because they had a child asleep in the house during the siege but were told by police to keep inside and lock the doors.

Chris Thompson, who lives near to where the siege took place and took pictures while the drama unfolded, said the man appeared to throw objects, including what looked like a knife, at police from his window during the stand-off.

He said the man later went upstairs 'and started to play darts, with the bedroom window open, still shouting at the police, whilst holding the darts and hanging out of the window'.

At about 12.30am Mr Thompson said police held riot shields against the downstairs window as they tried to persuade him to come out.

He said: 'The multiple attempts were ignored for another 20 minutes after which the police returned to the road and, soon after, he opened the door and was instructed by armed police to walk up the drive, then kneel down with his hands visible, where they checked him for weapons and handcuffed and arrested him.'

Other people living in the street have spoken of their shock and surprise.

Jennie Worship, 35, who has lived in the area for 11 years, said: 'It was a surprise. It's normally really quiet.'

Have you got a crime story? Call reporter Peter Walsh on 01603 772436 or email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk