Bizarre moment ‘armed’ man in middle of police siege comes out to drink tea and water plants in Southall

This is the bizarre moment a suspected gunman involved in a 24-hour police standoff comes outside to water his plants and drink tea as armed officers prepare to storm his home.

Video footage shows the man emerge from the front door of the terraced house in Southall wearing a motorcycle helmet, theatrically sipping from his cup and waving a watering can.

Yards away, a unit of specialist firearms officers with long guns take cover behind a wall, waiting for their signal. The officers are later filmed storming the property to arrest the suspect, using assault rifles to smash through the ground floor windows.

A neighbour is also seen running back into his home terrified after being confronted by officers pointing their guns at him.

The siege had begun more than 24 hours earlier, when police were called to Saxon Road at about 2pm on Thursday to reports of a man with a firearm refusing to leave the property.

A Met spokesman said: "A number of resources were sent to the area in a bid to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. This included specialist firearms officers as a precautionary measure.

“On Friday, 22 January, a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm and taken into custody where he remains at this time.”

Chief Superintendent Peter Gardner, West Area BCU Commander, said: “We would like to thank residents for their patience and co-operation while we resolved this matter.

"We would also like to thank the local authority and specialist firearms officers for their assistance in peacefully resolving this incident."

Ealing Council had advised residents of Saxon Road to stay in their homes for the duration of the siege.