The siege after police officers force their way into the property

A standoff in which a man barricaded himself in a property with his young son on Sunday ended after police officers forced their way in, Coventry police said.

Specialist firearms officers entered the property in Coventry just after 8.30pm and detained the 41-year-old man. He is in custody and will be evaluated by mental health professionals.

His eight-year-old son, who is believed to have been physically unharmed, is with another family.

Superintendent Ronan Tyrer, from Coventry Police, said: “This was an incredibly sensitive and challenging siege which centered on an eight-year-old boy.

“His safety has been our main concern during this time and I’m sure everyone in Coventry shares our relief that we were able to get him safely out of the house today.

“The situation became unbearable and it was decided to end the siege.”

He added: “At all times we had to balance the risk of the boy being kept in the house against the risk of him being harmed if we entered the house.

“Fortunately, he appears to be physically unharmed at this stage – but is being looked after properly to ensure he gets all the emotional and other support he needs.

“We are incredibly grateful for the way the Earlsdon community has supported us. We know it’s been long, hard and frustrating, but we’ve done our best to help you get through it.

“I would like to thank the firearms officers, negotiators, neighborhood officers and other officers who worked day and night to protect this boy and the public.”

Watch: Police standoff with man who has young son in home continues for fourth day