TWO people held hostage after a 24-hour drinking session ended in a police siege have spoken of their terror.

Mr Phil Brown, 59, of Silverstone Way, Malmesbury was arrested after drinking companions Paul Ingram and Katrina Marchant were held hostage in his home with kitchen knives until one managed to alert neighbours who called the police on Friday morning.

The three had been at Mr Brown's house since Thursday, drinking, talking and listening to music.

But on Thursday night things began to go wrong, culminating in the police siege.

Miss Marchant, 23, of White Lion Park, said: "It was so horrible, I was really scared and we were held there all night.

"I am still really shaky about it, and I keep running through what happened in my head, I can't stop thinking about it."

Mr Ingam said he had been petrified by the ordeal.

Mr Brown suffers from pancreatic cancer, deep vein thrombosis and is a registered alcoholic.

He said: "I am very worried about going to court. This is a serious charge and I'm frightened that I will go to prison, I have never been in any serious trouble before."

The police ended the one-and-a-half hour stand-off by kicking in Mr Brown's door and dragging him outside in handcuffs.

Mr Brown said: "I have got big wheals on my wrists where the handcuffs were, and I fell and bashed up my legs, which are very painful.

"It was a very upsetting experience for an old man."

At just before 9am on Friday Miss Marchant managed to tap on the window and attract the attention of a passer-by, she mimed 'call 999' and the man alerted police.

Mr Brown was released on police bail after being interviewed for 24 hours.

Neighbours in the quiet cul-de-sac were shocked to see scores of police surrounding the house and negotiating with Mr Brown to free his hostages.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "All the police cars came screaming in to the road and then there was a lot of shouting and activity.

"It all went quiet for a bit and then after about an hour they kicked his door in and he was dragged out in handcuffs.

"It was all very dramatic, and a bit of a shock so early in the morning."

Another neighbour said: "Phil Brown is very well known in this road, he is always drinking and causing problems.

"He lives alone and just seems to drink all the time. It's sad really, he obviously needs help, but it isn't very nice for his neighbours when he is causing problems.

"I think he has been involved in the odd fight before, but nothing as dramatic as this, it was like a scene from a Hollywood movie when all the police cars came speeding in."

WPC Rachel Webb attended the scene.

She said: "We were called at 8.45am, and told that the man was holding two people against their will, and was being threatening towards them.

"The incident lasted an hour-and-a- half and involved three units of police, all from the Malmesbury station.

"The man was arrested and held in the cells and questioned.

He was later released on police bail to appear at Swindon Crown Court tomorrow."

Mr Brown has lived in Silverstone Way for more than 30 years, he is not believed to have a job.

He is charged with false imprisonment of two persons.