POLICE officers in riot gear stormed a house in Selby early today to end a near-four-hour stand-off.

The drama began at about 8.30pm when a man living in Millgate, off Flaxley Road, fled the house and called police claiming his landlord had threatened him and threatened to harm himself. Knives were later recovered from the house by police.

Inspector Colin Moreton, who was in charge of the operation, said: "In view of information we decided to take it seriously and put a containment on the house to ensure the person didn't get out."

The street was sealed off from its junctions with Flaxley Road and Charles Street.

A police negotiator tried to contact the man by telephone, but his calls went unanswered.

Outside police vans blocked the street and a number of officers, including a dog handler, waited. An ambulance was also on standby.

Shortly after midnight a team of seven officers dressed in protective gear and armed with riot shields moved in to block the doorway of the house. A small crowd of neighbours and passers-by gathered at the Flaxley Road junction to watch the drama unfold.

The police negotiator hammered on the door and called for the man to come and talk to him.

The man could be heard shouting and the negotiator had to assure him the police were concerned and did not want to hurt him.

Minutes later officers burst into the house and the sounds of a struggle could be heard.

A police van was driven up to the door of the house and a man was brought out and put inside before being driven away.

In all about 20 officers were involved in the operation.

Earlier, some residents, who had not been allowed to return to their homes through the cordon, had criticised the police.

But Insp Moreton told the Evening Press: "It is regrettable that people were inconvenienced, but our priorities were the safety of the public, the police and the person himself."

Updated: 12:18 Friday, June 28, 2002