Another bomb stand-off for Sydney as child is taken hostage

Barely a month after a teenager was terrorised by an intruder with a fake collar bomb, Sydney was the scene of another bomb drama yesterday, this time involving a man who locked himself in a barristers' chambers with his daughter and a backpack he claimed contained explosives.

After an 11-hour stand-off, police stormed the building last night and arrested the man. His 12-year-daughter was said to be distressed but unharmed. With explosives experts still examining the backpack, it was not clear if the bomb threat was genuine.

Local media suggested that the incident – which brought parts of Parramatta, a busy commercial area west of the city centre, to a halt – was linked to a custody battle. During the siege, the 52-year-old man, who has not been named, appeared at a window shirtless and in a barrister's wig. He was also seen spitting on the wig, and smashing the window.

The saga began when he walked into the chambers with his daughter at 9.15am and demanded to see a lawyer whose name the receptionist, Betty Hor, did not recognise. After going upstairs briefly, he returned and repeated his request. When Ms Hor told him she had never heard of the man, he picked up a book and threw it at her desk. He then told her: "Phone the attorney general's department. I've got a bomb in my backpack."

As he returned to the second floor with his daughter, Ms Hor called police. Dozens of officers arrived, along with ambulances and a fire engine. The building was evacuated, and police cordoned off the street and took up positions outside. Office workers were ordered to leave neighbouring buildings. Police negotiators made contact with the man, but to little effect. The Assistant Police Commissioner, Denis Clifford, said officers stormed the building after negotiations broke down. "We reached a stage where we had to do something," he said. "We have always operated on the assumption that there was an explosive device in that backpack."

Mr Clifford said that the girl was "very upset and appears distressed ... but she is otherwise unharmed". Her father is expected to appear in court this morning. During the stand-off, the man smashed a window with a glass bottle, which he wielded like a hammer. He yelled through the hole and threw the bottle out, followed by a telephone. He also made a peace sign through the window and tossed out a note. Police said he made a number of demands, but they declined to give details.

Ms Hor said the girl appeared upset with her father, remonstrating with him when he threw the book. "She was in the stairwell. She was saying 'Dad!'," Ms Hor said. "I think she was surprised by his actions."

When the pair were brought out last night, the girl – who was handed over to other family members – reportedly yelled: "Don't hurt my dad".

Last month, an intruder broke into the home of a wealthy Sydney family and strapped what turned out to be a fake collar bomb to the neck of 18-year-old Madeleine Pulver. An Australian banker, Paul Peters, was arrested in Kentucky a fortnight later, and faces extradition.