Police are continuing to question a man who was arrested after two members of staff were held hostage at gunpoint at a bowling alley.

The two employees - a duty manager and a lane host - at MFA Bowl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, were unharmed in the incident, which was not terror-related.

The Bermuda Park retail park was in lockdown for more than four hours while the suspect held the male workers inside the bowling alley.

Police arrested the 53-year-old from Nuneaton on suspicion of making threats to kill.

Flashes and bangs at scene of hostage taking

Firearms officers and police negotiators, as well as other emergency services staff, rushed to the scene after the first reports of a gunman emerged at about 2.30pm on Sunday.


Bangs and flashes were reported shortly before news of the arrest emerged at about 7pm, with about 15 armed officers seen running towards the bowling alley.

An ambulance made its way through the cordon and two people got out approximately 10 minutes later.

Chris Clegg, operations director of MFA Bowl, said the two employees were checked over for shock, while the suspect was handcuffed.

Terrified families either fled the retail park - which includes restaurants, a cinema and a soft play area - or hid until police said it was safe for them to leave.

Witness: He was pointing the gun around, we ran

Alex Mulholland, who was in the bowling alley along with 40 or 50 others, saw the gunman enter and brandish the weapon.

The man was shouting "game over" as he held the gun above his head, Mr Mulholland said.

"We were just having a game... and a man who was also bowling ran across our lane and he was like 'get out, get out', shouting," he told Sky News.

"I was like 'what's going on?' so I turn around and there was a white guy, greyish beard, weird-looking man, he's got a gun up here, like this over his head.

"He was saying 'game over, game over', everyone shouting, screaming, panicking, trying to get out and I didn't know what to make of it, really.

'We were trying to leave with the kids'

"I ran, got my things as quickly as I could and got out of there."

Witness Lawrence Hallett said he saw a man walking towards him carrying a shotgun and then ran "hell for leather" out of the bowling alley.

He told Sky News: "We hung around outside for a little while... we didn't know what to do, what was going on. And he came out and swore and said 'what the heck are you guys'... unslung his gun and went back in again.

"And at that point we backed off to our cars."

Forensics officers are now examining the scene and a red Peugeot 307 has been removed by officers.