Neighbours' shock at siege

SHOCKED residents today told of the moment they were evacuated from their homes while police dealt with an alleged armed siege.

A 39-year-old man, named locally as Michael, barricaded himself into his flat in Rendlesham Court, Bramford Road in Ipswich at around 7.30pm yesterday.

Police were locked in negotiations with him for about three hours and is today in custody being questioned.

Officers were initially called to an incident in nearby Wellington Road where the same man had allegedly used threatening behaviour.

He is then said to have fled to his flat in Rendlesham Court where armed officers surrounded the property while trained negotiators tried to talk him down.

Police closed Bramford Road at the junction of Norwich Road and Yarmouth Road.

Neighbours said the man was shouting and throwing items into the road including bricks which struck nearby cars.

One resident, who did not want to be named, described the man as “a really nice guy”.

She said he had recently separated from his wife whom he only married last August.

Another neighbour said: “He's lived here for several years. I often see him about with his dog.

“I was having a cigarette outside last night when the police told me to go back inside because they were dealing with an incident.

“I could see he was hanging over the railings. The police were brilliant.

“He was saying 'just shoot me' but they managed to talk him back over the railings. He is not the sort of person you would think would be involved in anything like this.”

Around 100 residents stood at the edge of the police cordon watching the incident unfold.

The drama came to an end at around 11pm when police arrested the man and he was taken to Ipswich police station.

n. Did you see the drama? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk