A 47-year-old man has been charged after a stand-off with the police outside the Spirella Building in Letchworth last week.

John Wootton was charged with the possession of a bladed article in public and is due to appear at Stevenage Magistrates Court next week.

Emergency Services were called to the car park of the Spirella Building at about 2.15pm on Thursday, November 27, by a member of the public concerned about the ‘welfare of a man’ at the entrance of the building.

Police cordoned off the entrance to the building for about three hours.

Nigel Webb posted on Twitter: “Massive #police presence at #Spirella building in #Letchworth. Car park blocked off by at least eight squad cars.”

And @DugganRL said: “Police outside the Spirella building in #Letchworth, man with a knife and police blocking the entrance.”

Mr Wootton of Eaton Socon in Cambridgeshire has been bailed ahead of the hearing on Tuesday.