The siege ended when officers stormed a flat and used a Taser gun to arrest the suspect.

A witness claimed a man was inside the flat armed with a knife and had been cutting himself after an argument with his partner.

Riot vans and trained negotiators were called to the scene at 5.22pm after getting reports of an ongoing disturbance in a flat.

Dozens of passers-by were turned away from the area as the police cordoned off all entrances to Trinity Road, with around nine police vehicles and an ambulance waiting on standby.

One witness said she had seen the man with blood on his shirt while another, Karen Lee, of Wellington Road, claimed she had seen the man causing a distubrnace in the corner shop in Tennyson Avenue just before 5pm after he was refused alcohol.

Mrs Lee said: "I've lived on this road for five years now and in that time have seen a suicide and stabbings – one right in front of my wall. I get sick of it all."

A police spokesperson said: "There was a man in a house in Trinity Road behaving in an agressive manner and believed to be in possession of a knife.

"Police immediately attended the scene and began negotiations with the man and Trinty Avenue was closed to traffic.

"At 8.29pm officers gained entry to the property and a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray and assault.

"During the arrest an officer discharged a Taser as this was deemed necessary for an effective arrest. No injuries were caused."

A resident in the bottom flat of the property said he came back from fishing at around 4.45pm and heard banging upstairs.

He said: "I assume one of the other tenants called the police and our landlord. I heard banging and stuff but didn't really have a clue what was going on up there."

The suspect was taken away by police at around 8.45pm.

The road was re-opened just before 9pm, though several police vehicles remained outside the property.

* Photographs by Colin Horne.

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