A charity has provided food to the residents living around a stand-off that’s happening in Coventry.
Avtar Kaur, manager of a humanitarian aid organisation, says that they were “contacted yesterday morning requesting food for the residents. Our team then took hot meals, hot drinks along with fresh fruit and vegetables, which we were able to set up at the Old Clarence Pub”.
This is the fifth day officers have remained at a stand-off in Earlsdon Avenue North, as a 41-year-old-man, who is believed to be armed with weapons, has barricaded himself and his 8-year-old son inside his flat.
Avtar Kaur said that, because of the situation, “the residents were not able to come to us, but our volunteers were able to deliver hot meals and drinks to the officers on duty.
Schools and business have had to close due to this, and residents can only go out of their houses with an escort.
O’Tooles, an Irish coffee shop in Westwood Road, posted on their Facebook page: “I am sure you are now all aware that the police incident is still ongoing, which means we are still unable to open.
“This is such a stressful situation for all of the small business involved but there is little, actually nothing, we can do but wait and pray for a good outcome.
West Midlands Police have been updating people daily about the stand-off.
One of Coventry’s senior officers, Ronan Tyrer, said: “We have a significant policing operation in place, which includes, not only neighbourhood policing officers, but negotiators as well as firearm officers.
“This policing operation will go on as long as it takes to bring this to a safe and swift conclusion. Clearly, for residents, we would hope that that would be sooner rather than later.
“Our primary focus is around the safety of both the occupants and the wider community here in Earlsdon as well”.
