A MAN allegedly carrying a Samurai sword was involved in a dramatic two-and-a-half hour stand-off with police before giving himself up.

Armed police were seen on Elm Grove, Buckley, as officers attempted to talk a man to safety from a two-storey property.

He was said to have been on the upper floor of a maisonettes block on the street and was seen shouting down, while allegedly carrying the weapon.

The man, believed to be a 27-year-old resident, remained in custody over the weekend after being arrested late on Friday.

Elm Grove resident Valerie Sherry, 63, said she was ordered to stay indoors by police for her own safety while the incident was ongoing.

She said: “I was told to go back inside when I came out for a cigarette.

“The police presence was huge, I have never seen anything like it here before in the 14 years I have lived on the street.

“You couldn’t get along this road, it was obviously a big operation.”

Other residents said they were unable to get onto the street and into their homes, while evacuations were also reportedly carried out by police.

Witnesses said the man’s mother is understood to have died in recent days and they believe he was shouting about her from the upstairs of the building.

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “We saw 14 police cars altogether. One of them was an armed unit.

“We could hear a lot of shouting coming from the maisonettes.”

Police were called to the property shortly before 4pm owing to concerns about the man, with the incident ongoing until he gave himself up after 6pm.

Residents said they saw a trained negotiator, police dogs and ambulance crews on the street.

The ambulances were sent to the scene as a precautionary measure.

A spokesman for North Wales Police said: “The man gave himself up at 6.20pm and was taken into custody at Wrexham.

“He is helping police with enquiries.”