Explosives Scare Sparks Police Siege
Armed officers rushed to Redcar Road, Romford, on Thursday afternoon after a welfare call for a man sparked fear of explosives. The drama kicked off around 2.22pm when police were alerted to a residential property where a man in his 50s reportedly claimed to have explosives.
Negotiators Talk Down Suspect After Hours-Long Standoff
Specialist negotiators spent hours engaging the man inside the home. At approximately 5.40pm, he finally left the property and was swiftly arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and making or possessing items to create explosives. Video footage shows armed officers and a police dog detaining and searching him on the ground before taking him into custody.
Investigation Continues But No Terror Link
The Metropolitan Police confirmed there were no injuries. They stressed the incident is not being treated as terror related. Emergency services including the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade were also on scene.
A Met spokesperson said: “On Thursday, 15 January at 14:22hrs police were called following concern for the welfare of a man in Redcar Road, Romford. Specialist officers and negotiators attended the scene and engaged with the man in his 50s, who was inside a residential property and claiming to be in possession of explosives. At around 17.40hrs the man exited the property and was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and making/possessing items to create explosives.”
As of January 17, no charges have been filed but the investigation remains open.
