Man arrested after 28-hour siege in Oldbury

A man was arrested today following a 28-hour siege in the Black Country where he allegedly held his mother hostage at knifepoint.

Armed police wearing balaclavas had been on stand-by outside a house in Perry Hill Road, Oldbury.

The son surrendered himself for arrest at 11.30am today. His mother was then led away from the house by police, wrapped in a blanket and taken to hospital. They have been named locally as Dorothy and Richard Hughes.

Police first received an emergency call at 7am yesterday by a resident concerned about the welfare of the 79-year-old woman.

Officers then discovered that a 40-year-old man was also inside the property, allegedly stopping her from leaving. Police today confirmed the two people involved were mother and son.

Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said: "The incident at Perry Hill Road has now reached a peaceful resolution and a 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment. A 79-year-old woman will be taken to hospital as a precaution, however she is not believed to have suffered significant injury.

"Thankfully the matter has been brought to a safe conclusion as the man left of his own accord. We cannot comment further on the motivation for this situation.

However, we can confirm that the matter is domestic related and those involved are mother and son.

"The incident will now move into the investigation phase and forensic investigators are moving into the property to examine the scene. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for their help and patience."