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A man wielding a 'double-ended axe' has died after being shot by police in Hull city centre.

Terrified witnesses reported seeing the 31-year-old attack a car and 'waving an axe' near a Post Office in the Holderness Road area shortly after 9.20am Tuesday.

Onlookers then heard multiple gunshots off Charles Street, Freetown Way as armed officers arrived at the scene.

The man, who cannot be named, received medical attention but was later pronounced dead. The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission said.

A man near the scene said he believed the injured 'attacker' was his cousin who suffers from mental health issues and has problems with drugs, reports Sky News.

He said: "All I've heard is one of my friends rang me and said 'Your cousin's been running around with an axe and he's been Tasered and they've shot him'."

A woman told Hull Daily Mail of her fear after cops swooped in on the armed man: "I could see the man coming towards me waving an axe.

"The police were quite a distance from him and they were giving him plenty of time to drop the axe and he was still waving it around.

"He just carried on walking. He went down the street near to the car park in Francis Street and turned down there, with the axe still in the air.

"The police followed him down there and then I heard a shot. Straight away I knew it was a gunshot.

"In my opinion, the police did what was right, it was the last resort."

The city centre was put on lock-down.

Witnesses took to Twitter to express their horror at the incident.

Shan wrote: "Seeing a man running with a double ended axe being tasered by police was not what I was expecting to happen today."

Mike Taylor, site manager at Kingston Pavers, was carrying out some work in Freetown Way.

He said: "I heard two loud bangs all of a sudden. I remember thinking they sounded like gunshots. I joked to the other lads by touching my chest as if I had been shot.

"We didn't think any more of it and we went to Subway around the corner for a break. When we came back there were coppers all over.

"It is scary that this has happened, especially when we were working nearby."

Residents have complained that they are unable to return to their houses after the police have cordoned off adjoining streets.

An officer at the scene said there is no indication of how long the residential areas may be shut.

"It could be all day to be honest," he said. "We've not been given any time limit on it."

Parts of nearby roads Raywell Street and Francis Street have also been roped off.

Large screens have been put up around a car park in Francis Street and one around a nearby building along with a heavy police presence.

"Everywhere you go there's a copper," a man walking his dog said.

"It must be quite serious."

A police spokesperson said earlier that armed officers were deployed to the Holderness Road area shortly after 9.20am, "following reports of concerns for the safety of the public in relation to a man seen near the Post Office in Holderness Road, Hull.

"An investigation is underway and the incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is standard practice in such incidents.

"We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident at this time.

"As such, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage."