School closed in armed police stand-off in Coventry

Armed officers could be seen in the vicinity on Monday

Armed police officers remain in a stand-off with a man believed to have weapons in a Coventry house.

The 41-year-old, who has with him his eight-year-old son, has been refusing to leave the property since the early hours of Sunday, police say.

Initially called to carry out a welfare check, officers are concerned for the pair's safety, adds the West Midlands force.

People were advised to avoid the area where roads and a school were closed.

Residents say they have been told not to leave their homes unless escorted by police

Officers were called to the property on Earlsdon Avenue North at about 00:20 GMT on Sunday.

A stretch of the street between Kensington Road and the Earlsdon roundabout remains closed in addition to the adjoining Newcombe Road. Earlsdon Primary School, which stands within the cordon, was closed to pupils on Monday.

Specially trained officers were at the scene to bring the incident to a safe conclusion, said police.

"Our priority is the safety of those involved which includes residents who live within the cordon's perimeter," a spokesperson said.

A resident living near the scene said he had watched as the amount of emergency services outside the property increased on Sunday.

"At one point there were more than 10 armed officers, along with four ambulances," he said.

Those numbers had decreased overnight, he explained, but on Monday morning the amount of armed police had "started to gear up again".

An area of Newcombe Road and Earlsdon Avenue North remains closed

Kate, a mother who lives on Newcombe Road, said she had been told by officers not to leave her house "unless we're escorted down and up the street".

"We talk to [officers] as and when we can," she said. "Then we're just keeping an eye on the news to see what's going on."

She described the heavy police presence as "unsettling, especially when you've got two kids in the house".

An information centre has been set up for residents in Earlsdon Community Library

Earlsdon Primary School was shut "in order to keep everybody safe", said deputy head teacher Rebecca Bollands.

"This is a really tough day and we're hoping that we can reopen to children as soon as we can," she added.

In a post on Twitter, the school confirmed it had been instructed to closed again on Tuesday with remote learning to continue.

An information and rest centre for residents affected by the closures has been set up in the nearby Earlsdon Community Library.

Temporary accommodation would also be arranged for anyone unable to enter their homes because of the police cordon, said Coventry City Council.

A police spokesperson said officers had visited most affected addresses and issued guidance to residents wanting to leave or enter their homes.

Armed officers and specially trained personnel have been sent to the scene, police say

Coventry Police commander, Ch Supt Pete Henrick, said: "We understand that this situation is deeply worrying for some local residents and we want to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to bring it to a safe conclusion.

"I ask that people bear with us as specialist officers remain at the scene."

Earlsdon Avenue North is closed at the junction of Kensington Road and Highland Road, including the top of Westwood Road, and the junction with Newcombe Road, which is itself shut. Also closed is the junction of Poplar road with Newcombe Road.