The hostage-taking in the centre of Ede ended just before 12.30 pm on Saturday after a man in a balaclava left the café with his hands in the air, where he was ordered to kneel down and was then handcuffed by police.

Photographs show the man wearing a blindfold and a grey t-shirt being put into a police car by heavily armed officers. The hostage-taking is now over, officials said.

The man left the bar shortly after releasing his fourth hostage, the AD reported. Three others – two women and a man wearing jackets with the café logo – were released about an hour previously.

The centre of the Gelderland town was sealed off by police on Saturday morning after the man took at the time an unknown number of people hostage in the Petticoat café.

According to the Telegraaf, the man entered the café at around closing time and threatened to blow the place up.

A specialised hostage negotiator had been brought in, the paper said.

Petticoat is a popular bar among Ede youngsters and was hosting a 16+ night on Friday which ended at 4 am. “It is not the sort of café which you would associate with this sort of thing,” a neighbour told the paper.

At least 150 homes near the Petticoat café were evacuated as a precaution.

Ede mayor René Verhulst has urged people not to distribute films and photos of the incident on social media, out of respect to the four hostages.

“They have the right to rest and privacy,” he said. “The police would also like to be able to do their jobs properly.”

More to follow