UK job centre staff taken hostage by man with knife

London: A hostage situation is underway at a job centre in Newcastle, England, after a man "entered the building armed with a knife" on Friday, police said.

Witnesses also reported seeing the man with "something" strapped to his chest, reports the Mirror daily.

Five members of staff are believed to have been released with one man still being held inside the centre in Clifford Street, according to the police.

Police said they were treating it as an isolated incident at the moment.