Man locks himself with gas tank, faces police standoff for 50 hours

Police arrested a man after spending more than 50 hours negotiating alone with him inside a house containing a gas tank.

Police said there were “serious fears” the man at the property in Denby Road, Catford, south London, would harm himself or others.

A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threatening to cause criminal damage with intent to endanger life.

He suffered injuries to his feet after being bitten by a police dog and required hospitalization, where he remains.

It is understood that during the incident, residents of 50 surrounding properties were asked to leave their homes.

Lewisham Council said in a social media post today that the Salvation Army and local churches had provided rest centers for displaced residents.

Detective Superintendent James Derham, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to the people of Catford for their patience and help over the past few days as officers worked around the clock to to resolve this incident safely.”

“I definitely don’t underestimate the impact this has on the daily lives of residents, especially those who have been displaced.

“Our experts and local officers used all their skills to successfully deal with this extremely sensitive and complex matter in a thoroughly professional manner. This included the deployment of crisis negotiators to communicate with the men at the address, as well as trained firearms officers to ensure the safety of all involved.”

He added: “Our officers are working closely with partners, including local authorities, to ensure disruption to residents and travelers passing through Bellingham and Catford is kept to a minimum. I remain on standby throughout this period Other emergency services staff expressed their gratitude following the incident and were prepared to provide support as needed.

“At this time, a police cordon remains in place at the address and we are working to complete our investigation quickly.

“From the outset, our priority has been to resolve this incident safely for everyone involved and I’m pleased we were able to do this.”