Gunman dies after stand-off with police

Bell, 42, suffered gunshot wounds after officers returned fire in the early hours of this morning in the Kirkheaton area of Huddersfield.

West Yorkshire Police said: “We regret that the incident at the house did not conclude peacefully as we had hoped and can confirm that the man taken to hospital from the address has now died. We are not in a position to name him at the moment.”

We regret that the incident at the house did not conclude peacefully as we had hoped. West Yorkshire Police

Bell initially opened fire on officers when they attempted to arrest him at around 10pm last night.

A male officer in his 20s was hit by a bullet and suffered minor injuries when the man took aim at uniformed officers from his doorstep.

Police said they tried to resolve the situation peacefully but the gunman returned inside the property before continuing to fire at police.

Teams of armed officers cordoned off the area and surrounded the “isolated” address following the incident.

A tense stand off ensued, ending at around 5.30am when Bell opened fire again.

The police spokesman added: “Just after 10pm yesterday officers attended a domestic address in the Kirkheaton area of Huddersfield to arrest a man following an incident earlier in the day.

“The man produced a gun and fired at the officers.”

The injured policeman was discharged from hospital with minor injuries.

Police attended the address to arrest Bell on suspicion of making threats towards another man at a nearby property earlier in the day, the spokesman added.

Bell was unemployed and lived alone.

Margaret Ainley, who lives on the road, said: “He was a bit of a troubled lad, there were problems with drugs I think.

“He never bothered me and would always wave if we crossed in the street.

“He didn’t work mind, and lived in the house on his own. It’s all a bit of a shock really.

“His car has been abandoned in a field nearby, I’ve no idea what it’s doing there.”

Another neighbour who lives opposite the house where the shots were fired said Bell was a “loner”.

She said: “I’d gone to bed at about 9.30pm, I was lying there when I heard what I thought were shots being fired.

He tended to keep himself to himself though and seemed a bit of a loner. Neighbour

“I had no idea what it was at first so I went downstairs and I saw there were lots of police in the street.

“I heard one of the officers calling for back-up on the radio.

“Next minute an officer was at the door telling us to stay inside and not to worry.

“We knew it was serious when the police helicopter turned up and kept on shining its beam on to the house.

“I’ve seen the man who lives in the house around quite a bit, he tended to keep himself to himself though and seemed a bit of a loner.

“It’s a bit of a shock for something like this to happen around here, as normally it’s a nice quiet little community.”