GARDAÍ yesterday arrested an 18-year-old man after he entered Shankill garda station in south Co Dublin armed with a gun and threatened several members of the force.

Members of the garda emergency response unit (ERU) and armed detectives from other units of the force were called to the scene, after the man entered the station at around 3.50pm.

The man, who is from Loughlinstown, Co Dublin and is known to gardaí, was recently arrested for drug offences. He had been drinking in nearby O'Connell's pub earlier in the day. It is understood he had produced the gun in the pub when asked to pay for a drink, but he had not threatened anyone on the premises. The firearm was a relatively low-strength pellet gun. The residential area off Dorney Court in Shankill, where the station is located, was cordoned off by gardaí as ERU sharpshooters took position outside the building.

The man remained in the public reception area, located just inside the main door of the station, throughout the ordeal.

Garda negotiators convinced the man to give up his weapon and he was being detained at Shankill station yesterday evening. The incident lasted just over one hour. The station reopened shortly after the incident ended.