A stand-off at a block of flats in York came to an end this afternoon with the arrest of four men.

As officers made safe the flat in Thoresby Road, Acomb, the men were taken to Fulford Road police station for questioning.

Police were called to the flat at around 11.30am when a gas fire, which had been ripped from the wall, and a television were thrown through the front window of the first floor flat during a disturbance.

The gas supply to the block was turned off and nearby residents evacuated.

Extra officers and police dogs were brought in and the road sealed off, but police maintained a low-key presence.

As senior officers became increasingly concerned about the situation, residents who had been watching from a distance were asked to move inside.

Trained negotiators were brought in to speak to the men inside, while officers put on riot gear out of sight of the flat.

Negotiations with the men failed.

While around eight officers carrying shields created a diversion at the front of the block of flats, others went in through a back door and stormed the flat.

Moments later, four men were brought out at intervals of about a minute, one man with his trousers round his ankles.

They were put into police vans and driven away for questioning.

A North Yorkshire police spokesman said: "At 2.40pm officers wearing protective equipment entered the flat after negotiations had failed and four people were arrested.

"No one was hurt."

The spokesman added that five people had been temporarily evacuated into the care of City of York Council until it was safe for them to return.

The stand-off lasted around two-and-a-half hours.

Updated: 15:58 Tuesday, January 23, 2001