Armed police arrest two men in industrial estate stand-off after Sunderland business robbed at gunpoint

Investigations led Northumbria Police to Freezemoor Road on New Herrington Industrial Estate at around 9am after a business premises in Dene Road, Castletown, was robbed at gunpoint earlier in the morning.

Officers, including armed response officers, also carried out a search of a house in Flodden Road on the Ford Estate in connection with the incident.

A force spokesman said: “At around 7.33am this morning police received a report of a robbery at a premises on Dene Road, Sunderland.

"An offender entered with a gun and made off with a bag.

“Unarmed and armed officers carried out a search for the offender and intelligence led them to an industrial estate in New Herrington.

“Two men have been arrested in connection with the investigation and a vehicle uplifted. Nobody was injured and no firearm was discharged."

One 43-year-old man, who works on the industrial estate, said businesses in Freezemoor Road were stunned when the armed officers turned up and surrounded a van which had parked up at around 9am.

He said: "There was an unmarked 4x4, about three or four marked 4x4s and about three vans.

"There was shouting and the dogs got let off at least once.

"Then it all kicked off and then one of them got out of the van and into a police car and then a second guy after a while.

"We had looked out the window and we saw this grey unmarked police car and they had their guns trained on someone.

"The van had parked up on the side of the road and then about five minutes later, the police turned up.

"We weren't told to stay in, but I wasn't going to go out while it was happening.

"They closed off the road to stop anyone else coming in."

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 179 290518 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.