Police siege closes UK motorway

SWINDON, England -- A 20-mile stretch of one of Britain's main motorways has been brought to a complete standstill as police negotiate with a suspected armed man who is believed to have a two-year-old boy with him.

The M4 motorway, which links London and Heathrow Airport to the west of England, was closed in both directions on Saturday.

The incident started at 2.00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) as armed police surrounded the man's motor-home which has remained parked on the side of the six-lane highway after running put of petrol.

Police say the vehicle began a journey in Cornwall, in south west England, before coming to a halt on the M4 near Swindon, about 70 miles (120 km) west of London.

"Our main concern is for the safety of our officers and for the occupants of the vehicle," a spokeswoman for police in the county of Wiltshire told Reuters.

"We believe the man may have a weapon, possibly a gun."

"This may be part of a domestic dispute," the spokeswoman said. "We made contact with the man some time ago and we're talking to him."

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers had attended a caravan park at Sennen, in Cornwall, on Friday night to talk to the 45-year-old man about a "domestic dispute" when they spotted him with a weapon.

The spokesman told the Press Association: "A weapon was produced and officers withdrew so as not to exacerbate the situation or put the child in danger.

"The man made off with his son and appeared to be in possession of what looked like a gun.

"We followed at a safe distance though Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire and it was handed to Wiltshire Police."

The spokesman said the boy's mother was not involved at the start of the incident and did not alert police to the custody row.

The drama caused traffic chaos in Wiltshire with tailbacks up to 10 miles being reported and diversionary routes becoming gridlocked.