Police in Limburg have ended a siege at a home in the village of Herten near Roermond, where a 38-year-old man had reportedly taken a baby hostage.

The man gave himself up to police at around 13.00 hours after talking to a negotiator for a time. The baby, a three-month-old boy and thought to be the man’s child, was unharmed.

The incident began on Monday morning when police received reports that a confused man was walking around the garden of his home. When police arrived to check out the situation, the man locked himself in the house with the child.

Despite reports the man was armed, this was not the case, police said. Nor had he made any demands.

Problems

Eyewitnesses told Nos television the man, 38, had two children and that the police were often called to his home to deal with problems.

A similar siege in the Limburg village of Reuver last year ended in tragedy when a father shot dead his young daughter and then committed suicide after a stand-off with police lasting several hours.

The man, who was in his 40s, locked himself in the house with the three-and-a-half year old girl after a row with her mother over visitation rights