A baby is reportedly being held hostage by a man in a Costa Coffee store and police have swarmed the area, grinding a city centre to a hault.
The man is said to be sat on a chair cradling the baby in a tense stand-off with around six police officers which began at 12.20pm.
Police negotiators are in talks with the man inside the store in Friar Lane, in Nottingham's Old Market Square, following what they described as a 'domestic incident'. The coffee shop has been sealed off ever since.
Shoppers have been evacuated from the store at lunchtime and a police cordon covering more than 100 metres is affecting multiple shops and bus services, Nottinghamshire Live reports.
A large crowd has gathered to watch the drama unfold as police negotiate with him and try to bring the incident to "a peaceful conclusion."
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A police statement said: "A police cordon is in place in Costa in Friar Lane, after a report of a domestic incident was made to Nottinghamshire Police at 12.20pm on Monday February 3.
"Officers were quickly on the scene of this incident and we would like to thank the public for their patience.
"We would like to reassure people that there is no risk to the wider public and that we are doing everything we can to bring this incident to a peaceful conclusion."
Police were called at 12.20pm and there are four police cars outside, one ambulance and two incident response vehicles on scene.
Neil Heath, a journalist with the BBC, told the broadcaster that the man was talking to about five officers with others standing further back and was "talking calmly."
"It is clear a negotiation is going on to release the child. The child doesn't seem distressed. Paramedics are outside," he told BBC Nottingham.
A bin lorry appears to have been brought in and positioned to block the view of the incident.
Shopper Phil Gayle, 55, told reporters: "It has caused travel chaos in the city centre this evening, but everybody's concern is for the welfare of that young kid.
"It has been going on for hours now, its quite scary but the place is eerily calm."
Nikita Riley who works in Friar Lane, told Nottinghamshire Live she was on her break when the emergency services arrived.
She said: "I was in the break room and one of my colleagues said a child was being held hostage.
"It’s a bit intimidating seeing all these police and ambulances about.
"It’s a bit of a shock."
Charlotte Gregory and Mia Slack, who work for a care company in Friar Lane, said they heard a "commotion."
"We feel a bit on edge. You do not expect it to happen. We saw a man cradling a baby," they said.
There has been chaos in the city centre for more than four hours now, with people arriving in the centre to shop being unable to reach businesses and buses.
Kaleem Ashraf, a taxi driver of 10 years, told reporters: “It’s going to have an impact on everyone. People that want to catch the bus.
“Nottingham is a brilliant place. Its very diverse and can offer a lot. But society in general, for any parents it would create alarm bells.
“Its a regular basis. The news that you get out there is the sense that you hear about crime all the time.”
Another local worker said "there is always something" happening in the area and "it's getting to the point where it's a bit unsafe to live".
The man, who works at the nearby VPZ vape shop, who just wanted to be named Luke C, added that the cordon has affected trade.
“It scares people off. It’s not good," he said.
