A TENSE armed stand-off at a caravan park near York ended peacefully today when a man gave himself up to police after a 12-hour siege.

A second man, who police had feared was being held hostage in a caravan, was released.

A firearm was found when police searched the premises.

No one was hurt during the drama, which unfolded at the Ponderosa Caravan Park, at Sutton-on-the-Forest, when unarmed police officers went to arrest a man at about 10pm last night.

The man resisted arrest and barricaded himself into a caravan with the second man.

It was unclear this afternoon whether the second man had actually been taken hostage.

About 30 officers, ten of them armed, were sent to the caravan park during the overnight siege.

Between eight and ten people from the park were evacuated and taken to a community centre.

Nearby Goose Lane was not closed to traffic, but police parking restrictions were in place in the area surrounding the caravan park.

Acting Chief Superintendent Barry Honeysett said armed officers had been sent to the scene as a precaution, but the primary objective was to communicate with the men in the caravan.

He described the second man as "a friend" of the gunman.

Acting Chief Superintendent Honeysett said: "I am very satisfied the arrest has been safely made; that was the primary concern.

"The officers formed the view that the man was armed. I do not know if they saw a weapon or it was the words he used."

He said a solicitor came to the site this morning, to join the negotiating team. Shortly afterwards, the siege was brought to an end.

A man was this afternoon in custody at York Police Station after being arrested in connection with the incident.

A second man was helping police with their inquiries.

During the siege, one of the four owners of the Ponderosa caravan park identified himself to reporters as James Whatnell, but he declined to comment.

Two residents of a house near the park also declined to comment.

Updated: 16:16 Tuesday, January 21, 2003