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Toddlers released in suspected armed siege in Kidlington Police use Taser in rescue of toddlers held hostage in Oxfordshire flat
(about 4 hours later)
A man who is thought to be armed has released the second of his two-year-old twin daughters he had been holding at a home in Oxfordshire, according to police. A man has been struck with a Taser and arrested following an armed siege in which he apparently took his two-year-old twin daughters hostage at a flat in Oxfordshire.
A statement said: "Thames Valley police can confirm a second child has been released unharmed from the property in Morton Avenue, Kidlington, as part of the ongoing domestic-related incident which the force is currently dealing with." Police were called to the home in Kidlington, just north of Oxford, in the early hours of Tuesday morning after reports that an armed man had seized the girls. Thames Valley police said they believed the 38-year-old was the girls' estranged father, who did not live at the address. Police were called by the twins' mother, who had managed to flee.
The Oxford Mail said the girl was brought out of the property, believed to be a one-bedroom flat, by four armed officers with shields and helmets. The first girl was released at 9.45am. Armed officers surrounded the property and sealed off the road, keeping a wide cordon around the address, reported to be a one-bedroom flat. Officers at the scene maintained contact with the man inside, describing the situation as a "domestic firearms incident". They said, however, that there was no indication at any point that the man wished to harm the children.
Police surrounded the home from 3.40am after reports that the 38-year-old man was holding the twins. Police said the man had been in regular communication with officers outside. At about 9.45am, he allowed one of the girls to be freed and reporters at the scene saw the other girl being taken away about three hours later by armed officers wearing helmets and carrying shields. Soon afterwards, police confirmed both girls were safe but that the man remained inside the property.
The man is believed to be the girls' father, according to police, but is estranged from their mother and does not live at the address. Later, police said the incident was over: "The 38-year-old man inside the property in Morton Avenue was detained by officers at the scene at 3.37pm after he exited the property. Officers did deploy and discharge a Taser device in order to gain the man's compliance. He has now been taken into custody."
Superintendent Chris Bunt said police were dealing with a "domestic firearms incident" but there was no indication that the man had wished to harm the children. Superintendent Chris Bunt told the Oxford Mail: "At approximately 3.40am this morning, we received a call from a female that had managed to flee from the address, reporting that her estranged partner was still currently in the address with two young two-year-old girls."
He said: "I'd like to provide reassurance to the public that we have this fully in hand. We have the area contained and we have firearms officers that are deployed and are currently dealing with this incident. Our aim is to resolve this incident as quickly and as safely as we possibly can." The police operation involved about 50 officers.
The property remains sealed off and the road closed.
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