VIDEO: Man arrested by riot police after siege (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Man arrested by riot police after siege

8:40am Tuesday 5th July 2011 in Video By Matt Watts

Riot officers raided a flat after a man threatened to stab police during a dramatic two hour stand-off.

Police arrived at the flat in Belmont Road in Wallington at about 7pm on Friday after reports the 21-year-old inside had earlier stolen a bottle of Vodka from the Melbourne Pub in Manor Road.

But officers were met with a drunk and abusive man who shouted at them from a first floor window he would stab any policeman who went near him.

After trying to negotiate with the man, senior officers made the decision to call in the Metropolitan Police's Territorial Support Group (TSG).

More than a dozen TSG officers, armed with stab vests, riot shields and helmets, forced entry to the flat just before 9pm.

The man was arrested and taken to Sutton Police Station. No officers were hurt in the raid.

Noone else was understood to be in the flat during the stand-off.

A large group of people had gathered at the scene to watch the situation unfold, with one onlooker catching on video the moment the TSG officers raided the flat.

One eyewitness said: "There must have been two or three ambulances, three police vans, 10 uniformed police officers and 20 to 25 people in riot gear."

"It was quite tense for a while, and I'm glad it was resolved without anone getting hurt."