'Pyrotechnic' thrown during Weston-super-Mare house siege

The siege situation was ongoing at 18:00 GMT

Police remain in a stand-off with someone who reportedly barricaded themselves in a house in Somerset.

Avon and Somerset Police officers went to Turnock Gardens in Weston-super-Mare at about 11:00 GMT to arrest a man.

When he refused to leave a "pyrotechnic device was subsequently thrown out of a window prompting the officers to withdraw".

The force has since deployed negotiators to "bring the incident to a safe conclusion".

It said that armed officers are at the scene as "a precautionary measure due to threats made towards officers and the belief there are weapons within the property".

Armed police were called at about 11:00

A cordon remains in place around the property, police said.

'Isolated incident'

Chief Inspector Jess Aston said it was an "isolated incident and one which we don't believe poses a risk to the wider public".

She explained that negotiators have made contact with the man "while we're liaising very closely with our colleagues in the mental health crisis team, as well as other emergency services who are at the scene, to ensure his safety".

As this is ongoing incident, residents in a "small number of neighbouring properties" have left their homes "as a precaution".

North Somerset Council is liaising with them should if they need any support, she added.

Other emergency services were deployed too

She added: "We recognise the disruption and inconvenience this has caused and we're grateful for the understanding those affected have shown.

"We hope to bring this incident to a safe conclusion as quickly as we can."