A man threatened to set himself on fire during a nine-hour stand off with police on Wednesday.

The drama started at 10.15am on Wednesday morning when a 21-year-old was understood to have poured petrol over himself and the furniture in a warehouse in James Industrial Estate Mill Lane off Purley Way.

A police negotiator, a family member and a friend of the man spent hours trying to convince him to surrender.

However, he covered the windows with blankets and refused to talk to them.

When police eventually raided the warehouse just after 7pm, he had disappeared.

Witnesses said it all began when bailiffs knocked on the door of the business yesterday morning.

It is not known at this stage who they were calling for.

The man locked himself in the warehouse before making threats to kill himself.

A witness from a business nearby, who did not want to be named, said: "The bailiffs called the police as a matter of course, the police came down and when the man saw them he said he had a can of petrol and he was going to burn the place down.

“They thought he was kidding then they smelled the petrol.

“He doused himself and the warehouse in petrol.

“The police called the fire brigade and a negotiator.

“He is only a young chap. It makes me sad.”

The troubled man’s friend Danny Dellaway was on the scene trying to talk him out of the warehouse.

His father, Jim Dellaway, speaking at the scene said the young man had been depressed and had a recent fight with his mother.

Mr Dellaway said: “I have known him since he was a little boy, he is good as gold, a normal laid back person.

“I think he is very depressed at the moment, he likes computer games and has a PS3 and doesn’t go out drinking.”

Mr Dellaway was at the scene supporting his son.

During the afternoon he said: "I think he's scared in there now, because of all the police.

"If the police weren't here I think I would have had him out of there by now.

"They have given him a show now so it's worse - he thinks he's going to get into serious trouble."

Four police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine attended the scene.

It all ended at 7.15pm when police entered the property and found it to be empty.

A spokesman said: "Officers remained at the scene for several hours in a bid to talk the man down.

"Officers gained access to the building at about 7.15pm but were unable to locate the man concerned."

A police spokesman said: "Following further police enquiries, a man in his twenties was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, October 8 in connection with the incident.

A man was released on bail until November while police continue their investigation into the incident.

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