A JUDGE has commended police and ambulance officers for their "highly professional and capable" handling of a controversial siege.

Lawyers acting for a suicidal ex-serviceman suggested police were heavy-handed and ridiculous in their approach to the stand-off in a York residential street.

Immediately after the siege, Chapelfields residents also criticised police tactics.

But a judge and jury at York Crown Court has vindicated the officers over their treatment of Wilf Barlow, 40.

Barlow held off armed police with a knife while dog handlers and others cordoned off his home in Chapelfields for more than four hours on January 7, a York jury heard.

In his closing speech, defence barrister Robert Collins said: "We have heard evidence of heavy-handed tactics. In my submission they (the police) haven't done a magnificent job, but have made themselves appear rather ridiculous."

He also contrasted the police approach with the ambulance workers' initially successful gentle approach.

But at the end of the trial, Recorder Andrew Robertson QC said: "It is my view, having heard all the evidence, that the ambulance service and the police service behaved in a highly professional and capable way, dealing with a very difficult and sensitive situation that potentially to them was very dangerous."

And he ordered that special letters praising the officers be sent to North Yorkshire Chief Constable David Kenworthy and North Yorkshire's ambulance service's chief executive Trevor Molton.

Chief Superintendent Gary Barnett of York police today welcomed the court's praise.

He said: "We were aware of criticism from certain people at the time, but the judge's comments clearly vindicate the police's response.

"In a dangerous situation like this, we must always be conscious of the safety both of the public and our officers and respond accordingly - as we did on this occasion."

The jury unanimously convicted Barlow, 40, of Bramham Avenue, Chapelfields, of affray. Then they heard he had served in the British Army for 12 years and as a mercenary in Croatia for four. He had previous convictions for robbery, wounding, affray and assault in the early nineties.

The judge adjourned sentencing so a psychiatrist can assess how dangerous Barlow may be to the public.

Barlow, who told police he could not remember what had happened on January 7, did not give or call any defence evidence.

Mr Collins said Barlow had been a "sick man" on January 7 and was "quite clearly at some risk of harm, possibly mortal harm".

But the police response to his actions had been out of proportion.

And he suggested that police officers may have broken the window of Barlow's front door and that Barlow may have therefore only been acting in self-defence in threatening the police.

The jury heard prosecution evidence that Barlow had drunk a lot of alcohol and drugs immediately before the siege and ambulancemen were called because he was apparently suicidal.

When they had difficulty persuading him to go to hospital, they called in police.

Mr Collins said Barlow served in the British Army for 12 years and was a mercenary in Croatia for four and was suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Updated: 09:21 Friday, September 28, 2001