Gunman sought time on Dutch TV

A gunman entered the headquarters of Dutch national broadcaster NOS and demanded airtime on television, before being detained, company officials said.

NOS director Jan de Jong told national radio “someone got into the building” and added that the man had been taken into custody.

De Jong said it was unclear how the man got through tight security in the building and into the editorial offices in Hilversum, about 20km east of Amsterdam.

Police quickly surrounded the building in Hilversum and evacuated staff, according to media reports. There were no reports of any shots being fired in the building.

NOS later said on its website that the man had a pistol with a silencer and threatened a security guard, forcing him to take him upstairs to the editorial offices.

The broadcaster was off air for just over an hour, with a screen on NOS1 channel reading: “Please be patient.” When it went back on air, NOS played recorded images of the man in a studio calmly talking to another man off screen.

The broadcaster said on its website that police were searching the building.

A reporter who spoke to the man said he claimed to be from a ‘‘hackers’ collective’’.

Speaking to a man off camera, the intruder said: “We are hired in by intelligence agencies.”

Shortly afterwards, police arrived and ordered the man to drop his weapon and put his hands in the air. Four or five police officers then ordered him to lie down, which he did and he was arrested without a struggle.

There was no immediate indication that the incident was terror-related.