Man shot dead by armed police after 'barricading himself' inside house on leafy British street

A man has been shot dead by armed police after "barricading himself" inside a house on a leafy British street.

The man in his 40s barricaded himself in the property whilst making threats with a weapon during an 11-hour stand-off with the police.

Officers were called to Aylesbury Road in Bedford shortly after 10.40pm on Monday following reports of vehicles being damaged in the area.

When police arrived, they found the man had locked himself inside a nearby property and was making threats.

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Specialist firearms officers, negotiators and other emergency services were all drafted in as the stand-off stretched through the night and into the following morning, The Sun reports.

Bedfordshire Police said sustained attempts were made over a number of hours to engage with the man and bring the incident to a safe resolution, but the situation could not be resolved peacefully.

Shortly after 9.30am today, the man presented a weapon and armed officers opened fire.

Officers and medical professionals immediately provided advanced first aid at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead shortly before 10.30am.

His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

As well as Bedfordshire Police, crews from East of England Ambulance Service attended, including two critical care teams from Magpas Air Ambulance, alongside Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Nearby homes were evacuated during the incident, although residents have since been allowed to return and police confirmed there is no wider risk to the public.

A neighbour of the man who died, Mark Swales, said his friend had been struggling with the loss of his father and ongoing disputes over parking in the street, according to the BBC.

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Mr Swales said he called 101 before the incident to alert police that his neighbour needed help.

He also said during the standoff he heard the man shout that he had turned the gas on and was threatening to blow the house up before police disconnected the supply.

Shocked locals took to social media to describe the scenes unfolding on what is normally a quiet residential street.

One resident commented on a local community Facebook post: "A number of shots were fired during the actual capture and shouts for ambulance were almost immediate.

"Whatever the official line will be it was a terrible event and probably a very sad one too."

Another wrote: "I could not believe what I was seeing outside my front door at 7.20am."

In line with standard procedure following a police shooting, Bedfordshire Police made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which has since launched an investigation into the circumstances of the death.

A cordon remains in place at the scene while inquiries continue.

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