A man has been arrested after an eight hour stand-off with police in Bognor Regis

A man has been arrested after an eight hour stand-off with police in Bognor Regis. At 9.28am on Monday (April 20), Sussex Police received a report of a man in distress and in possession of a large knife, at the Royal Norfolk Hotel in The Esplanade. A cordon was set up in the immediate area to protect the public and emergency personnel who were dealing with the incident. Two members of staff, who were the only other people inside, left safely. A specialist negotiator was deployed to the scene and succeeded in engaging with the man. At 5.30pm, armed officers arrested a 37-year-old local man on suspicion of affray. There were no injuries and no shots were fired. Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw said: “I’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we responded to this incident. There was a significant police presence, but it was an isolated incident contained to the hotel and there was no threat to the wider community. “Local officers will be on duty in the area all evening.”