Man wielding axe spotted by off-duty police officer

An off-duty police officer has been praised after spotting a man swinging an axe during a heated exchange.

At about 9.45pm on Thursday June 18 a PC from Northumbria Police witnessed an exchange between two men on North Ridge in Bedlington.

After noticing one of the men was armed with an axe and appeared to be threatening the other, he raised the alarm.

Officers from the Firearms Support Unit swooped in but those involved had already fled the scene.

After a short search of the area, an axe, which had been discarded over a garden fence, was found by officers.

Two men, aged 42 and 41, were subsequently found and arrested on suspicion of affray.