A HUGE police operation brought chaos for Chatham's commuters, delaying thousands of drivers, schoolchildren, rail and bus passengers.

Police were yesterday called to a house at the bottom of Maidstone Road, Chatham, at about 1pm and attempted to coax a man outside.

Several hours later the police presence had grown to about 40 officers, including dog handlers and negotiators. By this time a number of roads, including Railway Street, Gibraltar Hill and part of Maidstone Road had been cordoned off.

It meant that one of the busiest junctions in Medway, giving access to Chatham railway station and bus stops for several major routes, became a no-go area, causing massive disruption. The congestion prompted questions about the scale of the police operation.

The incident lasted more than six hours before the man was led away in a police van.

A Medway Police spokesman said: "The operation was stepped up because the man did not respond to negotiators and in a situation like this, entering the house is the last thing we would want to do."

Insp Mark Baldwin said: "The priority of the officers involved in this incident was to act as swiftly and as gently as possible to the scenario. The chaos caused by the cordon was a matter of public safety. When dealing with a matter such as this we never know the tactics of the individual involved. We must then cover every eventuality."