Man escapes from mental hospital after gunpoint stand-off

A man who held gardaí at gunpoint at Shankhill yesterday afternoon has escaped from a Dublin hospital.

The man, who is in his 20s, had been arrested and held in custody after he walked into the garda station in Shankhill brandishing a pellet gun at about 2pm.

Ten garda cars, a garda helicopter and an ambulance were called to the scene.

The man was later admitted to St John of God's mental hospital in Stillorgan, but he escaped overnight.