Man (30s) armed with knife arrested after ‘standoff’ with gardaí in Ballina, Co Mayo

A man (30s) has been arrested after a “standoff” with gardaí in a retail outlet in the Market Square area of Ballina, Co Mayo on Wednesday night.

Part of Ballina was sealed off after 6pm on Wednesday evening after reports that a man, armed with a knife, had barricaded himself into a business premises. Members of the Garda Armed Response Unit (ARU) assisted the garda operation.

Two staff members who had been in the building fled when the man entered.

The incident lasted for several hours. At about 11pm, the man emerged from the building and was arrested. He remains in custody.