NSW: Man barricades himself inside home with hostages
31 Dec 2008 12:10 PM
SYDNEY, Dec 31 AAP - A man has taken hostages and barricaded himself inside a house on the NSW mid-north coast.
Officers have set up a two-kilometre exclusion zone around the property in Stuarts Point, near Kempsey, after a police chase earlier on Wednesday.
The man had driven into the property during the chase, at 5.30am (AEDT), barricading himself inside the home, the Seven Network reported.
Neighbours say there are two adults and two children inside the house. They also reported hearing gunshots just after the entered the property, Seven said.
Police have not confirmed whether the gunman is in the house or in neighbouring bushland, saying they won't comment on the siege for fear of jeopardising the operation.
About 40 officers have surrounded the house, ABC Radio reports.
Richard Livesey, a neighbour living just 100 metres from the property, said residents had been asked to stay inside their homes.
"Police walked passed early on this morning, at about 6.30am, and just said stay in the house and if anyone comes near it to run out the back," he told Network Ten.
Mr Livesey said he didn't fear for his safety, but after a flurry of activity earlier in the day, followed by a lull, he wanted to know what was going on.
"The police helicopter is flying around now and there are a few police going through the front paddock, some heavily armed, some in normal police uniform with flak jackets," he said.
"I haven't seen anyone for a little while ... I'm not quite sure why they haven't come and got me."
Mr Livesey said he did not know the family caught up in the siege.
