ARMED police were in a stand off today after a man allegedly threatened to blow up an Ipswich house, forcing a mother and her children to flee.A Suffolk police spokeswoman said a number of officers attended the four hour siege in Romney Road in South East Ipswich at around 1.

ARMED police were in a stand off today after a man allegedly threatened to blow up an Ipswich house, forcing a mother and her children to flee.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said a number of officers attended the four hour siege in Romney Road in South East Ipswich at around 1.45am today to investigate reports of a man with a knife being violent and throwing things out of a window.

The gas company were called after the man was alleged to have made threats to blow up the house.

Initial police reports also stated he was brandishing a knife. Police added the man did not live at the house.

Armed police and negotiators tried to calm the situation down and eventually at 5.45am the man came out of the house.

Early reports to police said that a woman and her children had escaped from the house.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage following the siege.

He is currently in custody being questioned by police.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said: “We were called at 1.45am with reports saying a man was making threats and being violent. We attended with several units because there was a possibility he had a knife.

“Negotiators were also called and police managed to speak to the man.”

The spokeswoman added the gas company was called as a precaution because the man was threatening to turn the gas on.

Paramedics were also called to be on standby but were not needed in the end.

A spokeswoman at the East of England Ambulance Trust said: “We attended an incident at Romney Road involving a male. No one was conveyed to hospital.”

Onlookers claim a man was throwing things out the window and refusing to come out.

One woman who lives near the home said she thought a couple in their early 20s and two children, lived in the house.

She said: “I saw furniture and other things thrown from the window and the door and the police were out there trying to coax them, asking to come in.

“It was like watching something on TV. The woman got very upset.”

Another man who lived nearby added: “There were around six police cars and an ambulance.”

However residents living along the road but away from the scene were shocked to hear of last night's siege claiming the street was one of the best in the area.

Janet Sherman, 59, said: “I'm surprised. It's a nice road, I've lived here for 20 odd years and nothing like this has happened before.”

Anne Horlock, 67 added: “This is one of the best roads on the estate, I know because I've lived here for 46 years. There aren't any problems, I'd be really surprised to hear it.”

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