Armed siege ends in Oldham after gunman takes woman and two children hostage

Neighbouring homes evacuated as specially trained negotiators hold talks with man

Police have cordoned off a street in Oldham after an armed man took a woman hostage (Iram Ramzan/Oldham Evening Chronicle)

A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and false imprisonment after a day-long hostage crisis at a house in Oldham.

More than 40 houses were evacuated in Shaw as a precaution after officers were called to reports of a man armed with a gun holding a woman and two children inside a home in the early hours of Tuesday.

Armed police entered the house in Pemberton Way shortly after 4.50am, removing a 27-year-old woman without injury.

Engineers isolated to gas supply to about 50 houses after the man reportedly threatened to cut a pipe (Iram Ramzan/Oldham Evening Chronicle)

Two children were safely outside the house, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said.

Chief Superintendent John O'Hare added: "We would like to thank the local community, in particular those who have had to leave their homes, whilst we worked to resolve this situation.

"Thankfully the hostage situation was safely resolved and the woman was brought to safety and the man arrested."

Specially trained police negotiators had been at the house and in talks with the gunman.

Officers were called at 3.15am on Tuesday to reports the armed man had locked himself inside the house in Pemberton Way with the woman and children.

The children, said to be aged one and six, were later allowed to leave through a downstairs window, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Nearby homes were evacuated "as a precaution," police said, amid reports from neighbours that the man had "cut through a gas pipe".

Chief Superintendent Neil Evans, territorial commander for Oldham, had urged residents to avoid the area as officers worked to "bring the situation to a safe resoution".

The road was cordoned off by police, with firefighters, paramedics, and staff from the National Grid also on the scene.

Engineers isolated the gas supply to between 40 and 50 nearby properties, while dozens of residents took refuge in a local pub after being evacuated from their homes.

Additional reporting by PA