Hunt for crossbow man

Steve Brazier had been working on a property close to a row of terraced houses in Anscombe Road, Worthing, when a domestic row spilled onto the street opposite and turned to terror. He and passers-by were threatened with the weapon by a man, aged 35, who then ran back into a house, sparking a dramatic armed siege.

Mr Brazier raised the alarm after ordering his work mates and people on the street to get out of the way.

The road then became the centre of a tense stand-off, involving up to 20 officers and police dogs, for more than four hours from 11am on Friday.

Mr Brazier, 32, of Kings Road, Shoreham, said: "He aimed it right at me. It was loaded. It was definitely primed and ready to go.

"There were lots of little kids running around in the street and I was very concerned about them."

Mr Brazier, who also runs a catering service and manages a football team for young kids, described hearing an argument flare up across the road. He told the Herald he saw a woman leave the house with a child before he was threatened.

"We could hear it all going on. I turned round and suddenly he yelled 'haven't you got anything better to do?' and pointed it straight at me. He was very agitated. I yelled to the lads he had a crossbow and told them to run. One ran behind a skip and the other hid up a tree."

Police immediately sealed off the road. One officer stood on the balcony of a house opposite the one into which the man with the crossbow had gone.

Police armed with guns and riot shields lined up behind the building, ready for the order to storm the house, while colleagues tried to make contact with the man. Police dogs were also on standby.

By late afternoon, there was no response from the house and officers went in. The flat was empty but police did find the weapon. The man who used it was still being hunted this week.

A police spokeswoman said officers were appealing for any information about the incident, or anyone who knows where the 35-year-old man is, to contact them on 0845 6070999. However, they have not released his name.