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Newcastle hostage incident: Police bomb disposal unit dispatched to jobcentre Newcastle hostage incident: Police bomb disposal unit dispatched to jobcentre
(about 1 hour later)
A bomb disposal unit has been sent to a jobcentre in Newcastle after a man armed with a knife held several members of staff hostage, police have said. A bomb disposal unit was sent to a jobcentre in Newcastle after a man with a fake bomb device strapped to his chest 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. 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.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. The 28-year-old walked into the Byker Jobcentre Plus in Newcastle at 8am Friday brandishing a knife, Northumbria Police said.
“This is there as a precaution following reports that the man could be in the possession of an explosive device.” Officers responded in nine minutes and shut down roads, closed Byker Metro Station, evacuated nearby buildings and began negotiating with the hostage taker.
An update was issued to confirm the man has since been arrested by officers and is in police custody. Armed police and a bomb disposal unit were sent to the scene and a cordon was put in place. Officers were swift to dismiss fears the incident was terror-related.
“A search of the premises will now take place so the cordon will remain,” police tweeted. Police said the man was known to jobcentre staff and he engaged with officers early on during the incident.
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. He released everyone in the building within 30 minutes and surrended at 11.15am, when he was arrested for making threats to kill.
Officers were called to Clifford Street in Byker at around 8am on Friday morning, following reports of a disturbance at the centre. It was at that point police confirmed the explosive device was fake.
Specialist negotiators were sent to the scene, and roads surrounding the premises were closed until further notice. Assistant Chief Constable Darren Best said: "In recent weeks we have heard many positive stories about the police and how quickly they have responded to some of the atrocities we have witnessed in London and Manchester.
It is believed the man responsible is known to jobcentre staff, and the incident is being treated as an isolated one. "When we first received the call this morning there were very real concerns that this individual could have caused serious harm and to be on the scene in a matter of minutes is a fantastic response.
​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. "It must have been particularly traumatising for those staff members who were kept inside the premises but we were able to secure their release within just half an hour of arriving on scene.
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 jobcentre.” "Our specialist negotiators engaged with the man very early on and their efforts are one of the main reasons that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion and that nobody was injured.
He said he was not sure how many staff members were inside the building. "We know that this would have been a very concerning incident for members of the public, particularly in light of events over the past few weeks, and we want to thank the public for their patience."
By 11.40am, witnesses said the cordon had been lifted and police were leaving the scene.