A MAN police feared was armed barricaded himself in a Trowbridge house for two hours before being successfully coaxed out by officers.

Twelve police officers, fire crews, three ambulances, armed response teams, police dogs and negotiators rushed to Manor Road on Monday at about 3pm.

Most stood on call in case help was needed to evacuate the man who had shut himself in a house with just his dog.

The 20-year-old, who has a young daughter and baby with his partner, did not have a gun but police feared he could be armed with other items from the house.

At the scene, Inspector Glynn Hookings, of Trowbridge police, said: "He has barricaded himself in and is refusing to leave the premises at the current time.

"We believe he doesn't have access to any firearms but he does have access to anything else in there."

Insp Hookings said the incident had arisen out of a domestic dispute.

The alarm was first raised to police at about 2pm but the situation then escalated and emergency services were sent out.

Police negotiators worked to coax the man from his house but at about 4.30pm police standing by started to put on riot gear in case urgent action was required.

The man came out quietly just after 5pm. The road had not been closed and bystanders gathered to watch the events unfold.

Insp Hookings said: "He was successfully talked out of the house and is going to Melksham to help us with our inquiries.

"It was ideally how we like incidents to be resolved: in a peaceful manner."

Neighbour Livine Collins, 56, said: "I took my granddaughter home to her mum and when I came back the police were in the front garden. They asked if they could sit in my back garden and look over the fence."

Later she saw the man hanging out of a bedroom window talking to police.

Mrs Collins said she was trying to relax in preparation for her night shift at a nursing home.

She said: "I sat down to watch a film for half an hour. Then curiosity got the better of me. I had a look out of the window and the number of police had doubled.

"It wasn't very pleasant. I don't know him very well but you don't know how it is going to end. It makes you feel uneasy.

"I have been up here nine years and Manor Road has always been a quiet road so this is very unusual. It was worrying."

The man was arrested and charged with criminal damage and was due to appear in Chippenham Magistrates Court yesterday.