Police were today involved in a five-hour standoff with an armed man after a clamping row in east London.
The driver of a van is believed to have barricaded himself in the vehicle after a row with a bailiff in Dagenham this morning.
Police were called to the scene at about 9am, and spent about five hours trying to persuade the man to leave the vehicle.
He was armed but not in possession of any guns, police have confirmed.
A witness, who asked not to be named, told the Standard that police cordoned off a row of shops in Whalebone Lane South just after 9am after the man “climbed into the van with a knife”.
A spokeswoman for the Met said: “We were originally called to reports of criminal damage.
“On arrival a male subsequently locked himself inside the van with a weapon.
“A cordon was put in place while negotiators deal with the situation.”
She confirmed the cordon was removed just after 2pm.
The man was later arrested.
Members of the public were urged to avoid the area while police dealt with the "volatile incident".
A spokesman for Barking and Dagenham police added: “Negotiators remain on scene where a male has barricaded/ locked himself in a van, armed with weapons and is refusing to come out.
“Police were initially called to a clamping dispute by ballots which had escalated.”
