A knife-wielding man was shot dead on Christmas Eve in Worcestershire after a standoff with armed officers, West Mercia Police say.

The force say officers were called by paramedics to an address in Fownhope Close, Redditch, at about 14:00 GMT on Tuesday over concerns for the safety of a man, who had a knife.

A police negotiator attempted to resolve the situation over several hours, the force added, but the man was shot at about 19:40 GMT. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

As a result of the shooting the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) has started its own investigation after West Mercia Police referred itself.

The IOPC confirmed a knife had been recovered from the scene and said the police officers involved had “provided initial accounts”.

No-one else was at the address at the time.

“This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with everyone affected at this difficult time,” Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills said.

The coroner has been informed and a post-mortem examination will take place.

In a statement, the IOPC said the man’s family had been contacted to “express our condolences and explain our involvement”.

IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan added: “Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragic incident

“Given a man has died after being shot by police, our role is to independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by officers.

“While police shootings are thankfully rare, it is understandable that people will be concerned when it does happen, and it is important we conduct a detailed and robust investigation into what took place.

“Our enquiries are in their very early stages.”