ARMED police swooped on a house in Consett, County Durham, in a dawn raid yesterday to seize a man suspected of attempted murder.

The team of 12 armed officers from Durham surrounded a house in Holly Gardens, The Grove, Consett, at 7am yesterday. A negotiator spoke to the occupant, a 34-year-old man, who agreed to come out and surrender to police. The entire operation took less than four minutes.

The man, who has not been named, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder over a stabbing that took place in Hexham, Northumberland, on August 21.

He was taken initially to Consett police station, where he was collected by detectives from Northumbria Police and taken to Hexham for questioning.