Dutch hostage – live: Man holds hostages in nightclub after ‘threatening to detonate bomb’

Heavily armed police are surrounding a nightclub in a rural Dutch town southeast of Amsterdam after reports that a gunman is holding several people hostage.

The local police said three people had been released by the suspected gunman but that the “situation is not over yet”.

The hostages were being held in Cafe Petticoat, a popular bar and nightclub in Ede, according to an AP videographer at the scene. A party was held at the establishment last night and was scheduled to finish at 4am this morning, according to a post on Facebook.

Images from the scene in Ede, a rural market town 53 miles southeast of Amsterdam, showed police and firefighters on the streets.

The police have given no further details about whether more hostages remained in the club – though some media have reported that one person is still being held. They have said it is not believed to be a terrorist incident.

Earlier Saturday, officers cordoned off a square in central Ede and evacuated about 150 nearby homes.

Details about the suspect are unclear but reports have suggested they entered the club armed with explosives and other weapons.