Dramatic end to four-hour armed bowling alley seige
EMERGENCY services have been praised for the way they handled a four-hour armed siege at a bowling alley near Hinckley on Sunday.
Armed police stormed the bowling alley shortly after 6pm to rescue two members of staff - a lane host and a duty manager - who were being held hostage by a man wielding a sawn-off shotgun.
The four hour stand-off at the MFA bowling alley at Bermuda Park was brought to a dramatic end when officers made a daring swoop on the building under the cover of flash bangs.
Six police cars and a forensics team were at the scene on Monday morning, where the cordon was still in place.
A police dog was spotted entering the bowling alley.
The emergency services were praised for their brave efforts in resolving the situation.
Nuneaton-based deputy police and crime commissioner Rob Tromans said: “Thankfully these types of events are rare here in Warwickshire but they are very serious.
“It’s a credit to Warwickshire Police that they maintain all the necessary training and skills to be able to respond effectively and very quickly when incidents occur. They made the decision to make a dynamic entry to the building to end the siege and everyone has been brought out safely.”
He also commended the local community in Nuneaton “for the spirit in which they rallied round and looked after each other” and added: “It’s at times like these that Nuneaton really shows what a great town and community it is.”
Nuneaton’s MP Marcus Jones joined the plaudits for the emergency services.
“It must have been terrifying for the hostages and other people in the vicinity,” he said.
“It turned into a very delicate and tense situation and the police handled it with professionalism, bravery and great skill. My thanks go to the police, ambulance service and all those working at Bermuda Park who all did their bit to keep people safe.”
Firefighters from Nuneaton were on standby to be called into action during the gun siege drama.
It is understood that the station provided plans of the layout of the MFA Bowling Alley building to the incident command team during the incident.