ARMED police stormed a Southampton tower block during a three hour stand-off with a man who had barricaded himself in a flat.

Residents in Albion Towers were also evacuated after witness reported the man had a knife and a gun.

Police cordoned off a wide area around the tower block, while neighbouring St Mary’s School was locked down.

The man then began shouting expletives from a seventh floor flat, before hanging half his body out of the window, causing police and witnesses to grow increasingly worried for his safety.

The incident was finally brought to a close when officers brought up a friend of the man, who convinced him to hand himself in.

One witness, Richard Cokayne, who was working in the building as a fire inspector, claimed the man “ran at him with a 10 inch knife”.

He said: “I was just about to go to lunch and I heard a commotion and I saw someone had a knife.

“He charged at me saying he was going to stab me.

“I got behind a door and he started stabbing at the glass.

“Then he ran into one of the rooms.”

The 31-year-old added: “It was terrifying.”

Residents of the tower block were left waiting outside the 15 storey building while police dealt with the incident.

One resident, who was in her flat at the time, said: “Everybody was evacuated.

“The school (St Mary’s) was on lockdown and children weren’t allowed to go out.”

A number of residents said they saw armed police and police dog units enter the building shortly after the incident began, around noon.

The man was brought out of the flats around 3.30pm and locked in a police van.

Frustrated residents, some who had been kept outside for three hours, cheered as he was driven away.

Police say a 19-year-old from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill. They did not comment on claims the man had a weapon.

Southampton City Council, which runs the building, declined to comment, while St Mary’s School did not respond.