HORRIFIED residents in a quiet cul-de-sac in Houghton Regis have told of their shock as police surrounded a house in a three-hour siege with an armed teenager yesterday.
The 17-year-old, who was carrying a knife, barricaded himself inside the three-storey property in St Michael’s Avenue at around 11.45am and threatened to harm himself.
During dramatic negotiations with police and family members, the youth is believed to have thrown a TV set out of the top-floor window.
Officers set up a cordon around the building to protect passers-by during the stand-off.
Neighbour Robert Goodliffe told the Gazette: “I went out this morning at about 11am and came back about an hour later and there was a youth shouting abuse out of the top window.
“He was shouting at his family that he felt mistreated.
“There were eight police cars including two armed response units.
“It’s normally a quiet cul-de-sac. I had some visitors round and they wondered what was going on.
“It’s normally quiet and peaceful. It’s very rare for this to happen.”
Police support unit officers entered the house armed with protective shields shortly after 2pm after the teenager set fire to a mattress.
Firefighters, who were already at the scene, were able to quickly deal with the flames.
The youth surrendered once police were inside the property, which is thought to belong to one of his relatives.
He was arrested and taken to Dunstable Police Station.
Nobody was injured during the incident.
Pupils at Houghton Regis Lower School were kept inside during playtime and officers waited outside the school at home time to explain the incident to any concerned parents.
Another neighbour said: “It’s not nice having something like that on your doorstep.
“I was worried about the school as well as my grandchildren are in there.
“The playground backs on to the front of those houses.”
A family friend, who was looking after the teenager’s mother after the incident, said that he had recently suffered personal problems.
