ARMED police sealed off a street in Canterbury on Tuesday night after reports a man was intending to kill himself with a shotgun.

A call was received at 8.10pm from a concerned friend of the man and Oxford Road was closed at 10pm.

A four-hour siege ensued, ending with a 40-year-old man being detained under the Mental Health Act. He was taken to St Martin's Hospital for assessment.

The man was alone in the house throughout the incident, during which no shots were fired and no one was injured. The friend who made the initial call acted as mediator.

A police spokesman said: "After receiving the call we established there was a firearm registered to the house in question. Armed police attended the scene to ensure the safety of the public and of police officers, but no shots were fired."

A registered shotgun was found at the house and seized by the police shortly after 2am.