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| Newcastle hostage incident: Police bomb disposal unit dispatched to Job Centre | Newcastle hostage incident: Police bomb disposal unit dispatched to Job Centre |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A bomb disposal unit has been sent to a Job Centre in Newcastle, after a man armed with a knife held several members of staff hostage, police have said. | A bomb disposal unit has been sent to a Job Centre in Newcastle, after a man armed with a knife held several members of staff hostage, police have said. |
| The man has since been arrested, and all hostages released from the building, Northumbria Police confirmed. | |
| Surrounding roads and metro stations were closed as a precaution, and a cordon was put in place while bomb disposal specialists searched the building. | |
| A police spokesperson said: "We can confirm that the bomb disposal unit is currently on scene of the ongoing incident in Byker. | |
| "This is there as a precaution following reports that the man could be in the possession of an explosive device." | |
| An update was issued to confirm the man has since been arrested by officers and is in police custody. | |
| "A search of the premises will now take place so the cordon will remain," police tweeted. | |
| There is currently said to be “no information or intelligence” to suggest the incident is terror related, however nearby roads and student accommodation have been evacuated as a precaution. | |
| Officers were called to Clifford Street in Byker at around 8am on Friday morning, following reports of a disturbance at the centre. | |
| Specialist negotiators were sent to the scene, and roads surrounding the premises were closed until further notice. | |
| It is believed the man responsible is known to Job Centre staff, and the incident is being treated as an isolated one. | |
| Naveed Ahmed, who owns a nearby fruit shop, said he saw a number of police cars arriving into the area shortly after he opened up at 8am. | |
| The 29-year-old, who runs Byker Fruiterers, told the Press Association: “There are about 10 or 11 police cars now and there are armoured officers surrounding the job centre.” | |
| He said he was not sure how many staff members were inside the building. | |
| By 11.40am, witnesses said the cordon had been lifted and police were leaving the scene. |