Armed cops storm Carstairs hospital after patient barricades himself in toilet with makeshift weapon

Staff at Carstairs called in help after the 24-year-old made an improvised weapon and threatened to stab the 'first person to come through the door'.

Armed police stormed the State Hospital after a patient barricaded himself in a toilet.

Staff at Carstairs, which houses Scotland’s most dangerous psychiatric patients, called in help after the 24-year-old made an improvised weapon.

The man, from Tayside, told nursing staff he would stab them if they tried to enter the room.

Uniformed officers wearing stab-proof vests attended but they called in armed reinforcements when the patient became more agitated and shouted threats.

A source said: “The patient managed to barricade himself inside a bathroom and more or less dismantle it, wrenching fittings out and smashing them.

“He managed to fashion a weapon from the debris he created and threatened the nursing staff who were trying to persuade him to come out.

“He said the first person to come through that door was ‘getting stabbed’.

“A team of police officers arrived with stab vests, but the patient continued to make threats and said he would stab one of them if they came in.

“Eventually it was decided to call in the firearms unit. After a while, about half a dozen officers carrying what looked like sub-machine guns came into the ward, looking like they meant business.

“It was terrifying for the other patients and staff.

“When the patient saw the weapons and understood they were prepared to shoot him if that was the only way to end the situation without hurting anyone else, he gave it up.”

A police spokesperson said: “Officers were made aware of concerns for a 24-year-old man causing a disturbance within Carstairs State Hospital in Lanarkshire around 7.10pm on Friday, May 15.

Officers attended and the incident was resolved with the 24-year-old returned to the care of hospital staff.

“Nobody was injured.”

A spokeswoman for Carstairs said: “On the evening of May 15 an incident occurred within the State Hospital which required the support of Police Scotland.

“In line with standard protocols, Police Scotland officers deployed along with State Hospital staff and the incident was safely concluded a short time later.”

The hospital, which has more than 100 patients and more than 600 staff, has been in lockdown due to coronavirus.

Sources said some patients are getting frustrated at not being able to see their families.

One said: “Tempers have been fraying a little at times due to the Covid-19 situation, which has seen some patients get a little frustrated and upset.

“But in the main they’ve handled the situation well.”

Services at the hospital have come under scrutiny in the last couple of years after concerns were raised by whistleblowers over staff and patient safety and the way the hospital was being run.