Armed police stand-off in Coventry continues into third day

Armed officers and specially trained personnel were at the scene again on Tuesday

A stand-off between armed police and a man "barricaded" in at a flat with his young son has entered a third day.

The 41-year-old is thought to have weapons inside the Coventry property, say police.

He has refused to exit the home since Sunday, raising officers' concerns for his and the eight-year-old's safety.

The West Midlands force was initially called to the scene at the weekend to carry out a welfare check.

It said negotiators were continuing to speak to the man at the ground-floor residence on Earlsdon Avenue North.

Roads around the address remain closed on Tuesday, while a primary school within a police cordon also stays shut.

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

The man has barricaded himself in at a ground floor flat, police say

Karl Stamper, a resident who lives close to the scene, and says he knows the pair inside the property, told the BBC the boy involved was a "lovely young lad".

He said: "I wish them both well and hope that they are safe and sound and come out okay.

"The police have been very good indeed - I must say that as well."

He added it was difficult to be largely stuck at home during the operation, but said he, his wife, and his 22-year-old son were "keeping our spirits up - we've got things to do and so we keep going".

Another man living near the scene reported on Monday seeing up to 10 armed officers in the area, with others commenting they could not leave their homes without officer escort.

"Everyone was a bit surprised it went on for two days - now we're into day three, I think the general feeling is this has to come to an end," he said.

"The safety of the child is of paramount importance, but this can't go on forever, and the police must have some sense of that as well."

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

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Ron Winch, a former superintendent with West Midlands Police and senior teaching fellow at Birmingham City University, said "in a sense" it was "unprecedented" for stand-offs of this nature to go into a third day.

He told BBC CWR that the "overriding priority" of the force would be to safely negotiate with the man, bringing the situation to a close without harm.

"The police will be prioritising and maximising the safety of officers and minimising the risks of the local community, the man himself and his son," Mr Winch said. Police would also be making sure the man had "trust and confidence" in the "negotiation process", he added.

The skill of negotiators, whom Mr Winch described as "world class", was key to the outcome, he said, explaining that while "highly disruptive" to the community, the police operation, including the presence of armed officers, was "proportionate and necessary with regard to the threat and risk that is present at the scene".

He told the BBC: "What we see with these incidents is that invariably they do end safely, and that's what we must work towards."

Officers were called to the scene in the early hours of Sunday

A stretch of the street between Kensington Road and the Earlsdon roundabout remains closed on Tuesday in addition to the adjoining Newcombe Road.

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

The school has confirmed the closure will continue into Wednesday, with remote learning set to continue instead.

"We're a little bit shocked that the situation has gone on this length of time, and it will be affecting the community quite a lot now," Ms Bollands said.

But she added that parents to whom the school had spoken were "quite happy to keep their children at home until everything is safe to reopen".

"Everyone will work together to get through this - we're lucky to have such a strong school and local community."

Police have apologised to residents for 'continued disruption'

Residents, businesses and the primary school had been "severely disrupted" by the cordon, said Coventry City Council.

Temporary accommodation was available to anyone unable to enter their homes, but a rest facility, opened at the local library on Monday, had now closed, the authority added.

Local butcher, Stuart Taylor, unable to open his business on Tuesday, said he was hopeful of getting an "armed escort" into his shop.

"I'm not fussed about being open," he explained, "but we need to do prep work to be ready for when we are open - we need to make sausages, burgers, pies; it doesn't just materialise."

Newcombe Road is among the roads to be shut following events on Earlsdon Avenue North nearby

A police spokesperson said officers continued to visit most affected addresses and had issued guidance to residents.

Coventry Police commander, Ch Supt Pete Henrick, said: "We apologise for the continued disruption to everyone within the cordon surrounding Earlsdon Avenue North, but our priority remains the safety of those involved.

Speaking directly to the community, he added: "Your patience is appreciated and we will continue to update you as the situation develops."

Earlsdon Avenue North is closed at the junction of Kensington Road and Highland Road, with the cordon also including the top of Westwood Road. Newcombe Road is shut, as is its junctions with Earlsdon Avenue North and also Poplar Road.