DOZENS of police officers, many armed, surrounded a house in Northfleet after a man barricaded himself inside during a three-hour siege.

Romney Road was cordoned off and officers, including members of the armed response unit, played a tense waiting game outside the man's home yesterday.

Neighbours were kept outside amid fears the 38-year-old father had taken his wife hostage. This was later denied by police.

Officers had earlier knocked on the man's door wanting to talk to him in relation to an assault and criminal damage at Stone House Hospital in Stone, near Dartford.

The man, who was a patient at the hospital, was threatening to hurt himself and told police he had a dog and a baseball bat with him in the home.

A trained negotiator was called to the house and spent around an hour talking to the man, who eventually came out of the house voluntarily. He was later being questioned by police.