Woman held hostage in Geelong siege

(AAP) - Special Operations police are at a siege in the Victorian city of Geelong, where an armed man says he is holding a woman hostage.

Believed to be aged in his 40s, the man has taken refuge in a property on Rose
Avenue, Norlane.
Police said the man called relatives around midday, to say he had a firearm.
"At the moment, they (police) are currently communicating with the man and
negotiating with him to give himself up," a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
She could not confirm claims from the gunman that he had a woman in the house with
him, which have been reported on Fairfax Radio.
"We haven't spoken to her, we haven't seen her. So, we can't confirm that either way."
Police have closed off Rose Avenue, between the Princes Highway and Plume Street.
"We have got our Special Operations people deployed. We have an ambulance on
standby. We have CFA (firefighters) here on standby. We have local police here," the
spokeswoman said.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said houses on either side of the man's residence in
Rose Avenue had been evacuated by police.
The street had been closed to traffic from Camellia Street to the Princes Highway.
Some people had been unable to return to their homes since the siege began, while
others had been advised not to leave their homes, the spokeswoman said.
Official arrangements for residents unable to stay in their homes have not been
finalised.
"The main aim of all the police here is to just resolve this peacefully and
everyone's hoping that this man will come out of his house," the spokeswoman said.