A dramatic armed police siege at a property in Burnham-On-Sea has ended this evening (Tuesday, December 8th) following a huge search for a missing man.
Officers were initially called to a home in Rectory Road on Monday night after a 54 year-old man went missing.
A huge search operation took place across the area during Tuesday using helicopters, Coastguards, lifeboats and volunteers from BARB and the RNLI.
But police eventually traced the man, named by police as Robin Graham, to another property in Rectory Road at around 3.15pm this afternoon, Tuesday.
The man apparently did not want to give himself up, however, and this prompted a police stand-off during which armed officers cordoned off the road and surrounding area.
After a siege lasting several hours, the incident finally came to an end at around 6pm when the man was seen being taken out of a property to a waiting ambulance. See online video from the scene here.
Police spokesman Simon Whitby confirmed to Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Police, some armed, surrounded the building for several hours while a trained negotiator persuaded the man to give himself up. He was taken to Weston General Hospital for a medical check up. It was a long, protracted and delicate operation.”
Police had been searching for the missing man since around 11pm on Monday and issued an appeal, in which they named Mr Graham, earlier on Tuesday, as reported here.
Our photos show the scene in Rectory Road this evening and, below, rescue teams searching for the man earlier in the day.
BARB volunteers and Coastguards searching for the missing man along the River Brue on Tuesday afternoon
Two RNLI lifeboats were launched in the search for the missing man
