Police were first alerted after neighbours reported two shots fired from the window of an apartment in a building in the Carretera de Cádiz area of Malaga city.

Officers arrived on the scene to find a very aggressive man who allegedly said he was going to explode a butane cylinder he had placed next to the door of his home, on the landing of the staircase.

Police then evacuated the other apartments in the building, went up to the man's house and removed the canister.

The man refused to let the officers inside his apartment, claimed he was alone and that the gun he had was not a real one.

Negotiations continued for over an hour until officers heard someone else shouting from inside the property. National Police officers then arrived following a call from the plumber trapped inside the home who said he was being held captive.

The individual then admitted the plumber was inside the flat and said he would not let him leave until police had left the premises.

Police negotiated with the man to open the door slightly to confirm the hostage was safe, and he agreed.

When he opened the door, officers behind riot shields swooped and blocked the man from closing the door again.

The man then allegedly became aggressive and threw chairs and other objects among the furniture he had piled up at the entrance to barricade in the plumber. Police officers then rescued the tradesman who was not injured during his ordeal.