Armed police break into house ending Coventry siege after five days

12 January 2022, 13:08 | Updated: 13 January 2022, 21:58

Armed police have deployed to the scene in Coventry
Armed police have deployed to the scene in Coventry. Picture: Alamy

By Will Taylor

A siege in Coventry has been brought to a safe end after armed police forced their way into a house where a father had been barricaded in with his young son for the last five days.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Specialist firearms officers moved in just after 8.30pm on Thursday evening and detained the 41-year-old man.

He is now being taken into custody where he will be assessed by mental health professionals, West Midlands Police said.

His son, 8, who is believed to have been physically unharmed, is safely with other members of his family.

Superintendent Ronan Tyrer, of Coventry Police, said: “This has been an incredibly sensitive and challenging siege, which had a boy aged eight, at its heart.

Butcher reveals impact of Coventry siege on his business

"His safety was our main concern throughout this and so I’m sure everyone in Coventry shares in our relief that we have been able to get him safely out of the house today.

"The situation became untenable and it was decided to bring the siege to an end.

"At all times, we had to balance the risk to the boy being kept in the house, with the risk that he could be harmed if we did enter the house.

Police are still talking to the man, with armed officers arriving at the scene
Armed officers arriving at the scene. Picture: Alamy

"Thankfully, he appears to be physically unharmed at this stage – but he is being properly cared for now to ensure he gets all the emotional and other support he needs.

"We are incredibly thankful for the way that the community in Earlsdon have supported us. We know it’s been drawn-out, tough and frustrating, but we have done our best to help you through this.

"I’d like to thank the firearms officers, negotiators, neighbourhood and other officers who have worked day and night to protect this boy, and the public."

The incident broke out when West Midlands Police went to a welfare check just after midday on Sunday.

Armed negotiators remained at the scene since Sunday - forcing businesses to close, a school to shut - and residents unable to go home.

The stand-off is to the south-west of Coventry's centre
The stand-off is to the south-west of Coventry's centre. Picture: Google Maps
The man is thought to be armed
The man is thought to be armed. Picture: Alamy

The residential street in the Earlsdon area of the city had been rocked by the incident, with masked police carrying rifles and shields deploying to the scene.

CCTV from the stand-off in Coventry.
CCTV from the stand-off in Coventry. Picture: Stuart Taylor, Taylor's Butchers
CCTV showed armed police outside the house on Monday.
CCTV showed armed police outside the house on Monday. Picture: Stuart Taylor, Taylor's Butchers

CCTV images on Tuesday showed a hostage negotiator was at the scene, surrounded by police.

Method of entry kit also appeared to have been prepared.

Footage showed a negotiator at the scene.
Footage showed a negotiator at the scene. Picture: Stuart Taylor, Taylor's Butchers

Police have advised residents about what they need to do if they want to enter or leave their homes, and offered reassurance.

A library on Earlsdon Avenue North, where the stand-off is taking place, and Albany Road opened for people who need support.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The group claims the factory makes components for Israel's F-35 fighter jets.

Three arrested under Terrorism Act after van crashes into defence factory fence

Owen Cooper is reportedly the youngest actor to have been nominated for the award

Teen star Owen Cooper leads British Emmy charge as 'Adolescence' scores 13 nominations

Ministers are seeking to avoid a repeat of last summer's violent anti-immigration protests, which lasted six days

Fears of riots after secret Afghan resettlement scheme exposed following MoD data breach

Physician associates (PAs) should be banned from seeing patients who have not been reviewed by a medic to prevent the risk of "catastrophic" misdiagnoses, a Government-ordered report has found.

PAs should stop being used as substitutes for doctors to prevent ‘catastrophic’ misdiagnoses, report finds

Nurse Sandie Peggie's employment tribunal resumes today.

Changing room row tribunal set to resume

Yoga, tai chi, jogging and walking could be the best forms of exercise to help tackle the sleep disorder insomnia, a study suggests.

Suffering from insomnia? Try yoga, tai chi or jogging, new study suggests

Bradley Murdoch, the killer of British backpacker Peter Falconio has died after being moved to palliative care last month.

Bradley Murdoch, Australian killer of British backpacker Peter Falconio, dies aged 67

The TV chef, 59, broke his silence on Tuesday night after the show's producers Banijay UK confirmed his contract will not be renewed.

John Torode breaks silence after being axed from MasterChef over racism claim

Last week, Dylan Earl, aged 20, and Jake Reeves, 23, became the first people to be convicted under new National Security Act powers after they were recruited by the Russian mercenary group Wagner.

Teenagers targeted by Russia and Iran for sabotage missions in Britain as state-backed threats increase five-fold

Exclusive
The Conservative leader made the declaration after it was revealed that the government spent nearly two years using an unprecedented superinjunction to prevent the public from learning about the breach.

Ministers must have power to sack civil servants after 'extraordinary' MoD data breach, Badenoch tells LBC

Exclusive
Penny Mordaunt spoke with Andrew Marr about the MoD data breach.

The person responsible for the MoD data breach should lose their job, Penny Mordaunt tells LBC

Exclusive
Defence Secretary John Healey refuses to say whether anyone has lost their job over the Ministry of Defence data breach.

Nobody has been fired over £7 billion Afghan data breach, LBC understands

Exclusive
A former Afghan interpreter told LBC that the Taliban may have used the major Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach to target Britain's allies.

Taliban has used major data breach at MoD to target those who helped Britain, says former Afghan interpreter

People search for their belongings amid the debris of destroyed houses in the aftermath of Israeli bombardment in Gaza City, on July 15, 2025.

Israeli strikes kill more than 90 Palestinians overnight, including 19 members of the same family

Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi, who came to the UK in 1999 and founded the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) to help others, said the Government must “accept full responsibility (and) offer meaningful compensation” to those affected.

MoD data breach has 'endangered lives' and 'betrayed' thousands of Afghans, says campaign group

MasterChef presenter John Torode will not return to the BBC cooking show after producers Banijay UK confirmed his contract will not be renewed.

MasterChef star John Torode sacked - after allegation he used 'racist language' upheld in Gregg Wallace report