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Monday, May 21 2012

Police storm home in Tunbridge Wells incident

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Police storming a house where a man barricaded himself inside say they were confronted with a large axe, knives and even incendiary devices.

Officers wearing full protective clothing and carrying shields raided the flat in Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, on Tuesday evening.

A police statement released on Wednesday said: “Substantial damage had been caused inside the premises.”

The police action came exactly 18 hours after the 54-year-old man barricaded himself inside.

Officers using public order tactics piled into the flat in Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells at 5.30pm on Tuesday.

They arrested a man who had holed himself inside the home at 11.30pm on Monday evening. He was said to be violent.

Police had been playing a tense waiting game throughout the day in the streets of Tunbridge Wells.

Road closures were set up as a precaution, after furniture was strewn outside a shop in the road.

Chief Inspector Martin Wilson, Tunbridge Wells district commander said: “We have been able to resolve the incident and get the man safely from the premises without injury.

“Our aim throughout has been to bring the incident to a safe and peaceful conclusion. It has meant some disruption to the local area and I would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding.”

Witnesses earlier described the tense stand-off.

A caller to kmfm said they had seen masked armed police in the area of Crescent Road . They claimed there was furniture everywhere.


                          Video: the scene of the hold-up

Motorists were advised to find alternative routes, and a number of neighbours were moved from their homes.

Reporter Katie Lamborn on the scene

The 54-year-old man was arrested and taken into police custody. He has been released on bail and is now in the care of mental health professionals.

No one was hurt during the incident.

Tuesday, March 09 2010

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Comments (45)

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  • Anon wrote:

    Agreeee..

    Well Said Beechwood..

    My Mum Has Had Breakdowns And Its Terrible.. This Man Was No Way Mental..He Would Have Been Totally Oblivious To The Fact He Was Acting In A Voilent Way..He Probably Dont Even Remember..So Lets All Just Be Grateful Thats Hes Ok.. Their Needs To Be More Support Groups For Family And Friends Of People Who Are Unfortunate Enough To Suffer From This.. Thoughts Go Out To His Family..x

    11 Mar 2010 7:10 PM

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  • beechwood wrote:

    Ill not mad

    I know this man I live in the same road and he is obviously ill but lets face it how many of us have ever wanted to barracade ourselves into our homes and tell the world to go away?

    09 Mar 2010 10:20 PM

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  • mayor of paddock wood wrote:

    thanks for ruining my day , i got to work 2 hours late this morning because of you. I hope you get fined and go to prison. Why did they need to 100s of police officers ? i could have taken him down with my shoe

    09 Mar 2010 9:53 PM

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  • the harman's wrote:

    best wishes

    good luck to you mate.
    best wishes., hope you and yours come through this ok.
    BOB H

    09 Mar 2010 8:28 PM

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  • m4tt wrote:

    nothing

    why wait 18 hours for him to walk out RUN IN AND TAKLE HIM 2 THE GROUNG thank u pece out

    09 Mar 2010 8:15 PM

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  • cresent road local wrote:

    his family

    message to his daughter,dont take any childish comments to heart,they will move on to next big story that comes out!.Im glad that he is now somewhere safe and the help needed will be given to him!i think the police done the right thing in the end by taking so long,if it takes that long for them to get him out safe and unharmed then thats a job well done!chin up and lets help him in any way we can!

    09 Mar 2010 7:54 PM

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  • allen wrote:

    Police

    i am kinda disgusted! they new that this poor guy has obviously had some kind of breakdown, and the last thing he actually needs is armed police outside... This could of been dealt with so much more with care. Maybe even asking his daughters to attend to speak to the guy... He obviously needs a lot of help and i just hope he gets it now. and onto a speedy recovery.. Im only saying this as i had a mental breakdown 2 years ago. not quite as drastic... but people writing jokes on here were not helping his daughters. My thoughts go out to the man involved. and so long as he is safe now.

    09 Mar 2010 7:30 PM

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  • HGP wrote:

    TW Under Seige

    There but for the grace of god go several of my friends. Sometimes it all just gets too much. Hope someone helps him, not charges him!

    09 Mar 2010 6:59 PM

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  • David wrote:

    Crescent Road

    I hope there was nothing valuable amongst the items thrown across the road?
    Perhaps the BBC can get their team and do a live Antiques "in the" road show?

    I hope a swift end to the disruption is in sight

    09 Mar 2010 6:52 PM

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  • anon wrote:

    ALL OF YOU!!!!!

    Message to his daughter, im sorry to hear about your dad i also know him having lived next door to him for a year, he has a heart of gold and would help anyone who needed it. So all the people calling him nutter and just being judgemental should think before you speak he is a ill man who needs help!!!!!

    09 Mar 2010 6:07 PM

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  • helmet patrol wrote:

    jack bauer

    wheres jack bauer when you need him?

    09 Mar 2010 5:47 PM

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  • anon wrote:

    ALL OF YOU!!!!!

    Message to his daughter, im sorry to hear about your dad i also know him having lived next door to him for a year, he has a heart of gold and would help anyone who needed it.

    09 Mar 2010 5:35 PM

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  • Katie wrote:

    poor guy

    I'm with everyone who says stop writing horrid stuff. Let's take a step back here. He was once a child, a young man. We all make mistakes and have our own way of crying out for help and this poor man clearly needs help and his family need understanding not stupid or horrid comments.

    09 Mar 2010 5:28 PM

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  • John TW wrote:

    Cant be true!

    I cant understand the situation. The police say the man has no firearm and yet they say he is a harm to himeself and others. Surely h cnt be a harm when u have this many firearm police and a man in a building with no weapon. Its been going on since late last night so must be something fairly serious.

    09 Mar 2010 5:27 PM

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  • stuey wrote:

    like hot cakes

    well when he does come out the local sandwich shop should help fund his defence. all these coppers (18 cars!) you can't get a doughnut for love nor money!

    09 Mar 2010 5:25 PM

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  • xxx wrote:

    Shot

    This guy obviously needs help and fast so a long sieze surely wont be helping him.

    09 Mar 2010 4:41 PM

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  • Wayne Rooney wrote:

    lol

    why dont the police leave the person alone! they should just let him get on with it.

    09 Mar 2010 4:37 PM

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  • Katie wrote:

    mmmmm

    Police in animal masks and tat parading as 'antiques' strewn across the road - this is the most excitement Tunbridge Wells has seen for the last 100 years!

    09 Mar 2010 4:33 PM

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  • ... wrote:

    ALL

    well when ur writing this quickly because your upset what do u expect ! he is a good man and he is a nice person he is just not well ok. please stop writing things on here and think about people that are involved and who this is happening 2! its not something to gossip about this is someones life and my dad not eastenders its not vic its his other daughter and she is not ok

    09 Mar 2010 4:27 PM

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  • anon wrote:

    TW Under Siege - Msg for mmmm

    mmmm - is that your real name?

    09 Mar 2010 4:22 PM

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  • Tim wrote:

    For mmmmm

    You ok vic? X

    09 Mar 2010 4:16 PM

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  • Tunnyred wrote:

    mmmm

    mmmm , i do hope your studying english at university !

    09 Mar 2010 3:34 PM

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  • Rob G wrote:

    TW Under Siege - Msg for mmmm

    Sorry to hear this news I will pray for you guys. Don't let this get to you these guys don't mean anything against your Dad personally....God Bless.

    09 Mar 2010 3:26 PM

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  • Anon wrote:

    Nutter?ALL OF YOU

    I totally agree. I know him too. He needs help & people r so nasty. How can u make comments & judge some1 u do not know! If it was some1 in ur family u would not like it!

    09 Mar 2010 3:24 PM

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  • Rob G wrote:

    TW Under Siege - Msg for mmmm

    Sorry to hear this news I will pray for you guys. Don't let this get to you these guys don't mean anything against your Dad personally....God Bless.

    09 Mar 2010 3:22 PM

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  • Steve wrote:

    Mirror mirror who is the biggest nutter of them all

    Is he creating a diversion for the local robbers or it us knowing Tunbridge wells armed police have possibly the worlds worst 4x4 in the world…. WHAT GOOD IS THAT CAR??????

    09 Mar 2010 3:19 PM

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  • Dicky Barnes wrote:

    resolution?

    In my opinion this whole situation has got out of control and prooved that our police have no idea how to deal with a situation like this. It's disrupted the town and meant people can't go about there normal business. I hope the man is brought out of the building unharmed so we can move on as a town.

    09 Mar 2010 3:18 PM

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  • J Man wrote:

    TW Under Seige

    With Tunbridge Wells Under Seige, surely Steven Seagal would be more effective....

    09 Mar 2010 2:59 PM

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  • mmmm wrote:

    ALL OF U !!!!!

    I am is daughtyer reading this at university trying to get on with life when people like you have nothing better to do with ur lives but judge people he is a very ill man ok. thanks for the judgement makes me feel so much better when i cant find out what is going on when im hours away and there is nothing i can do .... think about peoples family b4 u write horrible things on the interbet for people to see !!!

    09 Mar 2010 2:42 PM

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  • kown88 wrote:

    T wells

    We need someone for this a man who is afraid of nothing.........whos got chuck norris number?

    09 Mar 2010 2:40 PM

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  • Dicky Barnes wrote:

    Mask's

    The mask's worn by police are animal masks. Similar to those worn by children at parties.

    I just talked with a police officer (wearing an owl mask) outside of hotel du vin and she said she can't see the situation being resolved within the next few hours.

    Looks like they are bedding down for the night

    09 Mar 2010 2:32 PM

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  • BoyGeorge wrote:

    What are the police doing?

    What are the police doing? standing around most of the time!

    09 Mar 2010 2:29 PM

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  • Big A wrote:

    Masks

    No their wearing masks like Zorro did... you know just to add a bit of theatrics to it.

    09 Mar 2010 2:27 PM

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  • Shaun Styles wrote:

    LOL

    Why dont they let him get on with it

    09 Mar 2010 2:25 PM

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  • PHIL wrote:

    SIEGE

    I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I STUBBED MY TOE

    09 Mar 2010 2:24 PM

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  • Dicky Barnes wrote:

    LOL

    Has he been arrested or not? This is getting boring now. I volunteer myself to go in and have a word.

    09 Mar 2010 2:09 PM

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  • Will Hancock wrote:

    What sort of masks are the Police wearing?

    It says masked police... what sort of masks? Venetian?

    09 Mar 2010 2:08 PM

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  • Big A wrote:

    TW Seige

    I've just seen Ross Kemp out there!

    09 Mar 2010 2:04 PM

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  • stuey wrote:

    TW Siege

    less bruce Willis 'yIPPEEKAY-AY', more like 'LoveJoy'. where's tinker when you need him?!

    09 Mar 2010 2:02 PM

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  • John wrote:

    Incident

    Incident
    Incident
    Incident
    Incident
    Incident
    Incident?

    09 Mar 2010 1:56 PM

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  • em wrote:

    crescent road

    More and more armed police keep arriving, the road is going to be blocked all day, i don't know why the police won;t go in and deal with him and stop this continuing disruption. Crescent Road is ful, of police and local theives have taken advantage by doing a robbery of a local jewellers!!! i think every police unit in tun well, ton and padd wood are here!

    09 Mar 2010 1:54 PM

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  • J Man wrote:

    TW Under Seige

    With Tunbridge Wells Under Seige, surely Steven Seagal would be more effective....

    09 Mar 2010 1:54 PM

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  • SKW1985 wrote:

    Siege

    Why is it that when ever there is the facility to comment on these stories, it always turns into an arguement, everyone is entitled to their own opinion without being attacked or criticised for it.

    09 Mar 2010 1:35 PM

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  • J wrote:

    TW Hostage Situation

    Where's Bruce Willis when you need him. Yippekay-ay!

    09 Mar 2010 1:24 PM

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  • bob wrote:

    4x4

    the 4x4 is the armed police car folks i was there when it all started last night at 11pm

    09 Mar 2010 9:35 AM

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