A DISABLED man told of his terror after armed police stormed his flat looking for fugitive murder suspect Raoul Moat.
Steve Tingay, 44, said armed police swooped on his home at Fare Hill Flats, Berry Brow, brandishing guns after receiving a tip-off that the wanted Newcastle man was there.
Mr Tingay told the Examiner how he was left shaken by the raid on Wednesday afternoon.
But West Yorkshire police have since said they do not believe the alleged killer is in the Huddersfield area.
Mr Tingay, who is registered disabled, said he was stunned when he looked out of his fourth floor window to see police cars surrounding his building.
He said: “I was sat by the window when I saw these vehicles race up outside and all these armed police rushing out of them.
“There were police all over the place. I couldn’t believe it and went down in the lift with my wife Sandra to try and see what was going on.
“There was nobody there and we came back up, but as the lift opened two or three police were there with their guns pointed at the door.
“There were about a dozen police on the floor with their dogs and they were all armed with the biggest guns I have ever seen.
“One of the guns must have been nine inches away from my head and they told me and my wife to get into the corner on the opposite side of the lift.
“We had our hands up and I held my keys up to show that I lived there. I was looking at all these guns and panicking.
“They said they were looking for someone in my flat and asked if there was anyone in there. They did have the necessary equipment to break the door down but I gave them the keys.”
Police searched Mr Tingay’s flat for about 20 minutes and then left the building without entering any more of the properties.
Old School Lane, the road leading up to the flats, was blocked off during the raid to keep residents away from the armed police.
Mr Tingay later phoned police and was told they had received an anonymous report through Crimestoppers that someone who looked like Moat had been seen entering his flat.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it. What happened had been frightening enough but it was petrifying to think Mr Moat could be in the area.
“I don’t know whether someone saw me and mistook me for him but I’ve seen pictures of him on the TV and I don’t think I look anything like him – I’ve got similar coloured hair but I’m not as heavily-built as him and unlike him I’ve got a moustache!
“You see things like this on TV but would never expect it to happen on your own doorstep – it’s unbelievable.”
Moat has evaded police since apparently shooting his ex-girlfriend and killing her new lover on Saturday, before critically injuring PC David Rathband.
Police confirmed the raid at Mr Tingay’s home but stressed they do not believe that Moat is in West Yorkshire.
A spokeswoman said: “At 1.58pm armed officers attended an address in the Berry Brow area after information was received suggesting the male wanted for murder and firearms offences in Northumbria was there.
“A planned firearms operation took place and a search carried out but nothing was found.
“A number of armed response vehicles attended and the actions of police would have been normal practice for this kind of situation.
“This report was unfounded and no other addresses in Huddersfield have been searched in connection with the suspect.
“We have to treat reports like this very seriously because of the situation at the moment.
“We wish to stress that the suspect is not believed to be in West Yorkshire and there has been no intelligence to suggest that.”
