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17
Jun 2021
Bilton shocked after four-hour armed police incident
People in Bilton have spoken of their shock after the suburb became the scene of a four-hour armed police incident this morning.
Officers were called to Woodfield Road after being alerted to a disturbance in a council flat close to Woodfield Community Primary School.
A large stretch of the road was closed amid reports of a man behaving erratically in a first-floor window.
Crowds gathered to watch about half a dozen armed police officers, protected by a shield, stand in a garden outside the flat. An ambulance was also on hand.
Police were seen talking to the man, who was leaning out of the window.
A nearby resident on Woodfield Road, who asked not to be named, said they became aware of the commotion at about 6.30am and police arrived after it got louder. She said:
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A workman in the area told the Stray Ferret he arrived in the area at 7.30am and was shocked to see about eight police vehicles and an ambulance.
A police cordon was erected as more and more people began to gather on the street to watch the drama unfold.
North Yorkshire Police issued a short statement saying a police negotiator was at the scene and the public were not thought to be at risk.
Eventually, at about 10.10am, a man was escorted by police into a van and the road reopened, bringing a tense and dramatic morning to a conclusion.
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