A WOMAN was arrested today after armed police officers mounted a dramatic raid on a house in York.

Police said a siege began in the early hours when a woman was seen with a handgun in the doorway of her home in Starkey Crescent, Tang Hall.

A police spokesman said a doctor had been called to the house but, feeling threatened, had alerted the police.

Armed officers surrounded the property and the street, and some neighbouring roads were sealed off for three hours from about 3am.

Today's incident was the second time within five days that police had raided the house.

The police spokesman confirmed today that officers had been called to the house on Saturday after receiving information that there was a firearm inside, but on that occasion they found nothing.

One neighbour said today's operation was "like something off the television".

The neighbour said: "When it was still dark, my neighbour rang me up and told me to look outside.

"There were police cars and vans all the way down the street and I saw a policeman with a great big machine gun.

There were lots of them all with their black gear and flak jackets and helmets on and they had riot shields. They had one shield as big as a door, with a little window in it, and there were three others with smaller shields. They had an Alsatian dog with them.

"I could hear her screaming and about five of the police officers all rushed up and bashed down the door, shouting 'police'. There was lots of shouting and bawling."

Another said: "When the police knocked the door down, they backed off and sent the dog in. They went in after that.

"They then took her off down the street in handcuffs."

Police said they had found the woman unconscious on the sofa when they entered the house just after 6am.

She was arrested and taken to the police station in Fulford Road.

Officers recovered a weapon which was examined and found to be an airgun. The arrested woman's family has identified her as Dawn Cain.

A family member said: "All the family is rallying round at the moment to support Dawn. Her welfare is at the forefront of everything.

"There are far more implications to this than first appears. The police are currently investigating other avenues in relation to other allegations which have led to this incident."

The police said Ms Cain remained unconscious and was expected to be seen by a doctor at the police station.

tony.tierney@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 11:05 Thursday, February 21, 2002