Patient arrested after hospital 'gun' threat

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A hospital patient was arrested after he threatened staff with what was thought to be a gun, police said today.

Armed police were deployed to City Hospital in Birmingham at around 5pm yesterday and used a Taser to arrest the man, who was demanding drugs.

Police refused to confirm reports that the patient had taken two nurses hostage, but a spokeswoman for the hospital, in Dudley Road, said staff managed to get away from him and call security.

"Security did the right thing by retaining the man in a room.

"When the police came, they arrested him. During the incident staff evacuated the ward," she said.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said no-one was hurt and the man remained in custody.