Hucknall snooker club siege ends with man arrested
- 14 March 2014
- From the section Nottingham
A man has been arrested after a 10-hour armed siege at a snooker hall in Nottinghamshire.
Police spent hours negotiating with the man at the Spot On Snooker Club in Hucknall, before entering at about 00:40 GMT and arresting him.
Two women who were thought to be hiding in the club had emerged unharmed after about seven hours.
A 20-year-old was detained on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, police said.
He was being questioned in custody, they added.
Officers had first been called to the building in Vine Street at about 14:40 GMT over reports of a man said to be "acting suspiciously".
A man claiming to be the gunman told reporters who called the club during the siege: "It's none of your business why I'm here."
Answering the phone to the Nottingham Post, the man said "I'm the guy with the gun.
"I'm not sure what happened. I'm on my own in here, everyone else just ran off. I'm going to go home in a minute and chill out and watch TV and that."
By 22:00 GMT police said they were "in direct negotiations" with the man inside the club.
They said the two women who escaped were "extremely distressed but uninjured" and had "been guided to safety".
Vine Street was closed off and children at nearby Beardall Street Primary School were sent home with a police escort, while people were at one point told not to leave the nearby Byron Cinema because it was not safe.
Ria Cash, who was trapped inside the cinema, said: "It was exciting to start with but it is getting quite stressful in here now.
"We have seen armed police, several vans and ambulances coming through and there's got to be about 30 to 40 police around."
After the arrest Nottinghamshire Police said Vine Terrace and High Street would be reopened and residents allowed to return home but a cordon would remain at the snooker hall while officers examined the scene.
Residents unable to get to their homes were earlier told by the force to find temporary accommodation or go to Hucknall Leisure Centre.