A MAN has been arrested after a stand off in a residential street.

Tidy Street in central Brighton has been shut off as riot police deal with a "domestic incident".

It has been blocked off at either end by police cars while three more cars are in the street.

A neighbour said they had been told there was a "man with an axe who got it from the attic".

A passer-by said: "They are definitely heavily armed.

"The police have completely cordoned off the whole street but are telling people they are not able to say what is going on.

"There's about seven police officers outside one of the houses and quite a few of them are wearing a lot of padding.

"Residents are not able to access their homes. There's a student who is trying to get to his notebooks for university but he can't get to his house."

A resident on the street said: "I'm not being allowed to open my windows.

"Police have been here since I got home at 5pm and there's three armed police cars on the street now.

"There's armed police in the house now.

"This is a very quiet street normally. There are sometimes drunk people but nothing like this before.

"They have big, massive guns, lots of them."

One witness saw officers putting on "armour" and another saw three officers with riot shields and protective helmets walking down the street.

A Sussex Police spokesman confirmed they are dealing with a "domestic incident" in the street "involving a male".

Fire crews are also at the scene.

More as we have it...

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Did you witness this incident? Contact the Argus newsroom on 01273 021374 or message us at facebook.com/brightonargus