This is the moment police officers fired a warning shot at a knifeman who allegedly shouted Allahu Akbar after threatening several passers-by.

The tense situation started yesterday morning in Urk, a traditional fishing town in the heart of the Netherlands, when he entered a petrol station at around 8.30am looking confused.

He then ran outside and threatened passers-by whilst shouting the Arabic phrase which translates to 'God is greatest', according to witnesses.

The petrol station employee said the man was looking 'more confused than actually dangerous,' adding he wasn't waving a weapon inside the building.

Outside the petrol station, the man pulled out a knife which he started to wave around, threatening passers-by.

According to media reports, he sang songs containing the words 'Allahu Akbar', Arabic for 'God is greatest'.

Worried citizens immediately alerted the police, who arrived soon after at the scene.

Amateur footage filmed from a nearby building shows the police officers arriving in their patrol car.

The knifeman is seen outside the petrol station waving the knife as he stands behind the cars

A group of policemen wrestle the knifeman to the ground aft er firing a warning shot at him

They carefully approach the man with their firearms drawn, after which the aggressive man can be seen putting his hands in the air.

Just as the man is apparently about to get down on the ground, he suddenly gets up again, making a stabbing movements towards an officer, and a warning shot is fired.

The police officers then run towards the man and manage to restrain him.

It is unclear what caused the man to walk around with a knife threatening several people.

According to a police spokesman, the suspect appeared to be a 'confused man'.

Police did not confirm if the man shouted 'Allahu akbar, and a spokesman only said: 'He was singing in a strange language.'