Street closed in gun drama

A Shropshire street was sealed off by armed police after a man was apparently threatened with a gun in a row over a barking dog.

Officers surrounded a small bungalow in the Leegomery area of Telford in a stand-off that lasted nearly seven hours. It followed reports of a man carrying weapons shortly after noon yesterday. A man, believed to be in his 40s, was arrested and today remains in custody.

A number of residents were unable to get to their homes while others were told to stay inside by police during the dispute in Catterick Close.

Inspector Jeremy Gregory, of West Mercia police, today said: "Just after midday yesterday we received a call reporting suspicious activity in Catterick Close.

"The incident was dealt with as a neighbour-related domestic dispute and after a period of negotiation a man was detained and remains in custody.

"In dealing with the matter a number of local people and residents had to endure some inconvenience and members of the public are thanked for their patience and support. No-one was hurt and the matter was resolved peacefully."

A friend of a man involved described how he had been sitting in his home and looked out to see his neighbour with one leg on the roof of his shed and the other on his fence holding a homemade "poacher's gun".

She said: "He said he was going to shoot his dog and then shoot him."

The friend said the victim had then gone outside to ask his neighbour what he was doing on his shed when he was threatened.

She claimed the man then ran around to the front and pulled a knife on her friend, who managed to get inside his home and summon help.

She added: "This is all over the dog. He said the dog was barking."

Eyewitnesses described seeing police officers breaking down the door and hearing a man being told to leave the property.

Residents also reported seeing police taking away some kind of sword.

The front of the Wrekin Housing Trust bungalow in a pedestrianised area near Cheltenham Court was cordoned off by police until about 9pm.