A man has been arrested at a Birmingham branch of Natwest which was sealed off by police after an emergency call reported a gunman in the building.

Witnesses said the man burst into the bank armed with a pistol.

Before the arrest a West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Police received an emergency call at 11.45am reporting a man with a firearm inside NatWest bank in Bristol Road South, Northfield.

“Response and armed officers have contained the building and police negotiators are on the scene.”

The service later tweeted that “a man has now been arrested by officers at NatWest in Northfield”.

According to the Birmingham Mail, which spoke to witnesses, customers at the bank were allowed to leave, while staff were locked inside.

One witness said: A man had what looked like a 9mm pistol, he pulled it out before he went in.

“There were civilian hostages in the bank.

“The first armed police turned up within minutes.

“The police were using an air vent to talk to him.”

A woman, who did not want to be named, told the paper prior to the arrest: “Armed police are lined up around the building and the roads are cordoned off.

“It’s on lockdown.

“The police have told us to stay inside and away from the windows.

“There is what looks like riot police outside the bank at the moment and it’s on complete lockdown.

“It’s so scary, I just really feel for the staff inside the building.”