POLICE with Taser guns swooped on a Derbyshire property where two children were being held hostage inside.
A 24-year-old locked himself inside a house in Oversetts Road, Newhall, after refusing to hand over the youngsters to their mother.
Police said he was also threatening to harm himself. Neighbours called 999 after the drama began to unfold at 10.20pm on Tuesday.
The incident continued into the early hours of yesterday.
Residents said police cars filled the street and that officers were armed with Tasers.
Police dogs were also at the scene.
A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said: "We received various reports that a man had locked himself inside a house with children and was threatening to self-harm.
"As the incident progressed the man fell ill and police had to force their way into the property."
Police said they found the man unconscious inside the house and that no Tasers were used.
The children, believed to be aged two and seven, were unharmed and have now been returned to their mother.
One neighbour who lives nearby said: "I was woken up at about half past 12 and just heard the police shouting: 'It's the police, we've got Tasers and if anybody moves we'll use them'.
"The next thing I knew, about half an hour later they were carrying a bloke out on a stretcher and the kids were being taken to their mum.
"They had to put the door through with a battering ram and they had loads of dog units parked up the road.
"There was at least five police cars, an ambulance and an awful lot of officers outside."
Another resident who saw the incident said: "He threw a woman out of the house and kept the kids hostage.
"There were so many police officers outside I struggled to get into my home.
"Eventually one of them walked me through all of it to my front door.
"There were police officers and dogs everywhere. It was crazy."
Police have not said how the suspect became unconscious.
He was taken to Queen's Hospital in Burton.
He is understood to be in a critical condition.
