COPS placed a Birmingham bank on lockdown after a man stormed in with a pistol and took a female staff member hostage in an interview room.

Negotiators at the scene of the Natwest branch arrested one man after firearms officers contained the building.

Dramatic footage shows the moment the suspect surrendered, walking out of the bank with his hands int he air while armed officers trained guns on him.

A witness said: "In the end, he was on the ground and they were pointing all their guns at him.

"One lady, who came out of the bank, was very tearful."

A West Midlands Police spokesman said a 60-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of holding a staff member at gunpoint.

The spokesman added: "West Midlands Police were alerted just before 11.45am to a man having entered Natwest in Bristol Road South, Northfield, and holding a female staff member hostage in an interview room.

"It’s understood the 60-year-old produced a firearm from a bag − but no threats or demands for money were made and no-one was injured."

The suspect, believed to be a local man and customer of the bank, surrendered at about 12.50pm.

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West Midlands Police Force Incident Manager, Chief Inspector Shaun Phillips, said: “Officers quickly surrounded the bank, set-up a street cordon and established phone contact with some staff members who were hiding in a back room.

“It’s understood the man was with one female staff member, while other staff were lying low in another back room. No customers were caught up in the incident and no-one was hurt.

“The man’s motive is unclear at this stage but it doesn’t appear this was a robbery attempt."

A local trader had told the Birmingham Mail: "A man had what looked like a 9mm pistol, he pulled it out before he went in."

Another witness told the Mail that customers had been allowed to leave the branch but staff were kept inside, although this has not been confirmed.

No one was hurt in the siege.

A spokesman for Natwest said: "We are aware of an ongoing incident at Natwest in Northfield, Birmingham and we are working with the police to solve this as soon as possible.”

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