POLICE in riot gear surrounded a North Yorkshire house for more than two hours after reports that a man had stabbed his father.

Shocked neighbours in Lime Tree Avenue, Peasey Hills, Malton, described how officers at the scene wore full protective visors and jackets to deal with the incident.

An ambulance was first called to the scene at about 10.30am, after reports of a domestic incident.

Irene McCann, who lives directly opposite the house, said she saw a man get into the ambulance.

She said he was taken to Malton Hospital this morning, but then he came home with a bandage round his wrist.

"After that I did notice the police vans and lots of police there," said Mrs McCann. "The people who live over there are very quiet, they are no bother," she said.

"Yesterday there were lots of police there in riot gear, with a police dog."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "There were about six or seven police cars there - there were plenty of them."

Sgt Andy Stubbings, of Malton Police, confirmed that officers were in protective clothing.

He said: "There were no officers armed, but they were in protective clothing in case we had to go in through a locked door. It was not full riot gear, but to the layman that is what it would appear to be. Obviously they would have stab-resistant vests on because the report was that this man might have a knife."

Sgt Stubbings said the incident was not reported to them until shortly before midnight, when a man contacted them from another address.

"It appears this person rang up and then walked into Malton Police Station a few minutes later," he said.

"The man had been stabbed with a knife by his son, had attended hospital and on his return his son had tried to stab him again. The first time he did not report it to the police - no doubt they had had another argument."

A police spokeswoman said the house was contained by police until 2.40pm when the incident ended peacefully.

- A 26-year-old man was due to appear before magistrates at Scarborough today charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, affray, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Updated: 12:24 Friday, September 13, 2002