Police with tasers and riot shields had to be called by firefigters after they were allegedly threatened by a man in his 80s waving a meat cleaver at them.

The crew from Ilford Fire Station, High Road, Ilford, were called to the house in Manor Park at about 1.30pm to a carbon monoxide alarm going off.

When they arrived at the house, the man refused to open the door and started swearing, the firefighters said.

A firefighter from Ilford Fire Station, said: “The guy refused to open the door. We explained why we were there and he continued swearing.”

A second firefighter then tried to reason with the man through the door.

“The man opened the door and had a dirty big meat cleaver and was waving it around,” he said.

The son of the man then arrived home and gave the door keys to police who were also on the scene.

The firefighter said: “There was a standoff with him waving the meat cleaver through the window and then the police went in with tasers and shields all fully armed up.”