A MAN arrested after an armed stand-off at his home will be sentenced in the New Year, following preparation of psychiatric reports.

Robert Stephen Thomson, 38, admitted a charge of affray following the siege in which armed police surrounded his terraced home in Blackhouse, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, for more than 24-hours last month.

Thomson was eventually arrested, and police recovered two knives from the house, in Halls Buildings.

He appeared before Durham Crown Court yesterday after being committed for sentence by Chester-le-Street magistrates.

But sentence was adjourned after defending barrister Carl Gumsley asked for psychiatric reports to be drawn up.

Mr Gumsley said that at the time of the incident, on November 13 and 14, Thomson was "clearly suffering some sort of mental health problem".

Adjourning sentence, pending preparation of reports, Recorder Graham Hyland further remanded Thomson in custody.