Two hostages held at Nuneaton bowling alley

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An armed man has taken two members of staff hostage inside a bowling alley at a Nuneaton leisure complex, its chief executive has said



Mehdi Amshar said the hostages were being held at MFA Bowl, in Bermuda Park, which also includes a cinema, a children's play centre and a gym.

One eyewitness said a man with a gun had shouted at him to "get out".

Warwickshire Police said the ongoing incident was unconnected to terrorism. There have been no casualties.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had been called to the leisure complex at 15:40 BST.

MFA Bowl chief executive Mr Amshar said: "We understand that there is a gunman in the place and he is holding two of our staff as hostage."

He said he understood the man was known to a member of staff at the bowling alley.

Staff realised two members of staff were missing when a headcount was completed after an evacuation, he added.

Everyone else had been accounted for and police officers were now negotiating with the man, Mr Amshar said.

The gunman has been described by eyewitnesses as "in his 40s" and carrying a gun "slung" over his shoulder.

Chris Turner told the BBC he saw the man "ran up to the door of the bowling alley with a gun in his hand" and told him to "get out".

He said the man also shouted at a crowd of people outside to leave, saying: "I've already told you once."

Earlier, Kelly Perrett, who was at the Frankie and Benny's restaurant, told the BBC: "I am hiding in the toilet with about 20 people.

"It looks like police have got the bowling alley surrounded. The police told me that the gunman is near the door with a hostage."

Megan Westward said she was about to leave a children's soft play centre when staff told her to move away from the windows.

"There are quite a few bullet proof vans," she said. "We've just seen an air ambulance take off, there are ambulances and there are police in full body suits with guns."

She was then evacuated to a nearby hotel.

The ambulance service said it had "a number of resources" at the scene, including a hazardous area response team and an emergency planner.

An air ambulance was initially dispatched to the scene but has now left.

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Police end leisure park siege



A suspected gunman has been arrested after police ended a four-hour armed siege at a bowling alley in Nuneaton.

Officers were called to the scene at around 14:30 BST after reports a man with a shotgun had taken two hostages at MFA Bowl, in Bermuda Park.

A man was arrested after a "series of loud bangs" were heard at the bowling alley at around 18:30 BST.

The suspect was treated at the scene, while two other men escaped uninjured, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

Officers brought the incident to "a peaceful resolution" and "there were no injuries", Warwickshire Police Chief Superintendent Alex Franklin-Smith said.

He said the siege was "unconnected" to terrorism.

Both of the hostages - a duty manager and a bowling lane host - were unharmed.

Chris Clegg, operations director of MFA Bowl, said they were now being checked for shock.

"It's obviously not an everyday situation. The ambulance, police were checking them and making sure they were OK," he said.

The firm's chief executive Mehdi Amshar said he understood the man was known to a member of staff at the bowling alley.

Warwickshire Police say they were called to reports of a man - described by eyewitnesses as "in his 40s" with a gun "slung" over his shoulder - with a firearm at 14:30 BST.

Police say specialist firearms officers and police negotiators had been sent to the scene.

At around 18:30 BST they used flash bangs - which create a loud noise and bright light - to enter the bowling alley. About 15 minutes later, an ambulance was seen going to the site and the suspect was later taken to hospital.

Chief Superintendent Franklin-Smith added: "We are pleased that we were able to bring this incident to a peaceful resolution and that there were no injuries.

"I would like to reassure the Nuneaton community that the incident is unconnected to any terrorist activity."

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Nuneaton bowling alley siege: Man charged

A man has been charged with a number of offences following a four-hour siege at a bowling alley in Nuneaton.

David Clarke, 53, of Nuneaton, faces charges including false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm, Warwickshire Police said.

Armed officers were called to MFA Bowl in Bermuda Park at around 14:30 BST on Sunday following reports a gunman had taken two people hostage.

Mr Clarke is due before magistrates later.

He has been charged with two counts of false imprisonment, one count of criminal damage and two counts of possession of a bladed article.

Mr Clarke, of Ryde Avenue, also faces charges of one count of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and two counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.

He has been remanded in custody.

About 40 or 50 people were said to be inside the leisure complex at the time of the incident.

Two people who were allegedly held hostage were later freed unharmed.

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This is the gunman who took hostages at Nuneaton bowling alley



A gunman who held two people hostage at a Nuneaton bowling alley has been told he faces a long time behind bars.

David Clarke pleaded guilty to a number of serious charges today including false imprisonment and firearms offences in connection with the four-hour stand-off at MFA Bowl on Bermuda Park in Nuneaton.

Armed police swooped on the bowling alley on the afternoon of October 22 last year after Clarke, 53, took two hostages while carrying a sawn-off shotgun, a Samurai sword and a knife.

After four hours of negotiations, officers stormed the centre and arrested Clarke, while also freeing the two hostages.

Clarke, of Ryde Avenue, Nuneaton, was charged and appeared at crown court in November where it was decided that he would be seen by a psychiatrist before the charges were put to him.

And at Warwick Crown Court today, prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith stated that Clarke had been deemed fit to plead after being assessed.

Clarke then pleaded guilty to:

• two charges of false imprisonment
  
• possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
  
• possession of an imitation firearm (a sawn-off shotgun) with intent to commit false imprisonment
  
• two counts of possession of a bladed article (a Samurai sword and a knife)
  
• criminal damage

Clarke also entered a not guilty plea to another charge of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit false imprisonment, which was accepted by the prosecution.

After discussions with Mr Grieves-Smith and Clarke’s barrister, Colin Charvill, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC decided to adjourn sentencing until a pre-sentence report was prepared assessing Clarke’s “dangerousness” and “the likelihood of reoffending”.

Remanding Clarke in custody until sentencing on March 2, Judge Lockhart told him: “You have pleaded guilty to the indictment on an acceptable basis.

“Your counsel has persuaded me me I should consider a pre-sentence report before coming to the view if you are a dangerous offender.”

He also told Clarke to expect a “significant and lengthy prison sentence”.

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Gunman who took hostages at Nuneaton bowling alley jailed for 12 years

The man who held two people hostage at gunpoint at a Nuneaton bowling alley as he carried out his “evil plan” has been jailed for over a decade.

The judge who jailed Clarke today said that he had wanted to be killed by armed police during the siege at MFA Bowl on Bermuda Park.

Clarke was arrested after armed police stormed the centre and he was today jailed for 12 years after admitting a number of serious charges.

The 53-year-old, of Ryde Avenue, Nuneaton, will serve at least two-thirds of that sentence in custody before being considered for release.

Once released, he will serve any of the remaining 12 years, plus a further five years, on licence.

Judge Lockhart read out parts of the impact statements written by the victims, with the 17-year-old MFA Bowl worker saying that he still has flashbacks and is “too frightened to return to work”.

Mr Steadman’s statement said that he believed the gun was real and he “keeps reliving the incident and thinking how the outcome could have been different”.

The judge also stated that Clarke wished to die that day and had decided his “mode of death was a police officer using an MP5 to kill him dead”.

While jailing Clarke, Judge Lockhart said: “On the afternoon of October 22 you brought terror to MFA Bowl in Nuneaton.

“Your selfish actions left lasting consequences for the victims.

“You planned this quite carefully in your own mind. You told your sister you were going to do something you had planned for months.”

He also said that Clarke knew there would be children at MFA Bowl that day and they would be “terrified”.

Judge Lockhart said that a sawn-off shotgun is a “terrifying weapon and when used causes appalling injury” and that many of the people at MFA Bowl that day “have suffered psychological harm”.

He also said there had been the “potential for loss of human life” and “people were within seconds of losing their life or someone taking another person’s life”.

Clarke was also told: “You went ahead with this evil plan. You were prepared to put yourself and, more importantly, others in danger.”

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Nuneaton bowling alley siege sentence reduced

A man who took two people hostage at a bowling alley in a "suicide by cop" bid has had his sentence reduced.

David Clarke, 53, walked into MFA Bowl in Nuneaton during October half term, armed with a samurai sword, knife and shotgun.

Clarke, of Ryde Avenue, Nuneaton, was jailed in March for 12 years, with an extended licence period of five years.

His sentence was cut to 10 years at the Court of Appeal after judges said the original sentence was "excessive".

Mrs Justice May said while the serious offences had caused "lasting psychological harm" to the victims, Clarke had not inflicted any physical harm.

The extended licence period of five years remains in place.

"Mrs Justice May"