A gunman has shot himself after a 15-hour stand-off with armed police.
Firearms officers and negotiators cordoned off Leagrave Park in Luton after the man was confronted carrying a gun at 8.30pm on Sunday.
Shocked neighbours were warned to keep away from the park and described police ”swarming” around the area.
Witnesses said the man, who has yet to be named, shot himself at around 11.51am this morning.
Officers were described as rushing to his aid and trying to save his life – with the gunman believed to be still alive.
An eyewitness said he saw a man, estimated to be in his late 30s or early 40s, holding what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun surrounded by police.
He said: ”It is a sportsfield, with a couple of football pitches on it. There is a black man sitting near one of the goalposts with what would appear to be a shotgun pointing to his head.
”He is sat on the ground with his legs crossed with something pointing to his head. It could be a sawn-off shotgun, but it is difficult to see from a distance.
”He has got the butt of the gun, if that is what it is, in his lap and the barrel underneath his chin.”
The park has football and rugby pitches, a car park and sports pavilion and a children’s play area.
A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said it was unable to confirm whether the man had been shot.