Armed Police At Watford Bank Incident

2 June 2011, 12:08 | Updated: 2 June 2011, 15:06

Police are currently dealing with an incident at the Co-op bank in Market Street in Watford.

13.52 - Update from Herts Police

Following a three and half hour stand-off at the Co-Op bank in Market Street in Watford today, officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary with the support of the EOD (bomb disposal) have in the last few minutes safely secured the arrest of a suspect who had been refusing to leave the bank. 

An explosive device of some kind, as yet we don’t know what this is, has been recovered. The suspect is being taken into police custody for further questioning. No members of the public have been harmed, however there was considerable disruption in the town centre.

Officers had been called to the scene at 10.18am today (June 2). Safety of members of the public was paramount and a cordon was put in place and people were evacuated from nearby premises.

There will be police activity in the town centre for a while to come.

Understandably this caused concern within the community and we would like to thank members of the public for their co-operation in this matter.

13.44

Confirmed - Man arrested

13.40

Reports coming in that the man has been arrested

13.23

Claims on Twitter that the man may have gone into the Nat West Bank in Watford before going to the Co-op bank.

13.19

Harlequin Shopping Centre close Church Car Park

12.05

Police were called at 10.18am to reports of a man threatening to harm members of staff. We cannot at this stage, for operational reasons, make any further comment about this man but will update you as soon as feasibly possible.

Specialist teams from Hertfordshire Constabulary including firearms officers are in attendance at the scene and a cordon has been put in place around the bank for understandable public safety reasons.

We have now been able to establish that this individual is on his own and no members of the public are at direct risk. Clearly, our objective is to resolve this situation as peaceably as possible and thank the public locally for their co-operation and understanding is a fast moving and complex situation. Can we ask members of the public to continue their cooperation with officers and listen to any instructions for their own safety.

We would also like to thank all media for their support for agreeing to a temporary blackout on any reporting in the initial stages. This has been vitally important as we work to establish the facts and the threat involved and to ensure that everyone inside the bank was accounted for.

We fully understand people will concerned by what is happened but would ask members of the public not to call the police.