Man quizzed after Regent Street shop siege

A man is being questioned by police after breaking into a shop in London's Regent Street and threatening to blow himself up.

The 46-year-old was detained following a four-hour stand-off with armed officers at a branch of Accessorize that brought a large part of the capital's centre to a standstill in the early hours of this morning.

Teams of police were scrambled to the shop at 12.20am after an alarm was activated and found the man barricaded inside, claiming to be armed with explosives. They cleared the area while they made contact with him.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "At 5.15am, following negotiation, a man left the building voluntarily and was detained.

"The 46-year-old is currently in custody at a central London police station."

They said a small police cordon is in place but New West End Company, which represents Regent Street, Bond Street and Oxford Street, said workers and shoppers had "full access" to the street.

Chief executive Richard Dickinson said: "It is now business as usual on Regent Street, with retailers and businesses applauding the excellent handling of the situation by the police."

Police inquiries into the incident at the shop, which sells jewellery and other accessories, are ongoing.