Australia: Parramatta law office in 'hostage' drama

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A command centre has been set up at the scene and police negotiators have been called in

Australian police are in tense negotiations with a man who walked into a law firm's office in Sydney and told staff he had a bomb in his backpack.

The man, who is with his young daughter, has given police a list of demands.
The office, in Sydney's western suburb of Parramatta, has been evacuated and police have closed off several streets around the building.
Police say the man's grievances do not appear to be related to a legal row.
The legal office is next to the court building that deals with family cases, but officials say there is no record of the man having appeared at the court.
A receptionist at the office said the man, who appears to be in his fifties, walked into the building at 09:00 (23:00 GMT on Monday) and asked to speak to someone.
"When I told him there was no-one here by the name, he went to the front of the building and said: 'Call the attorney-general's department, call this person, and tell them I've got a bomb in my backpack'," she told ABC News.

The suspect smashed a window earlier and has held up pieces of paper

The man has since smashed one of the office's windows, and has held up pieces of paper with messages on them.
He was also seen with a barrister's wig, which he spat on and threw to the ground.
The authorities have sealed off the area, and fire engines and ambulance crews are on standby in the street outside.
New South Wales assistant commissioner Denis Clifford said negotiators were dealing with the man's demands.
"We're doing the best we can to secure a peaceful resolution. The fact that he's there and he's made certain threats is obviously of concern to us," he said.
Mr Clifford said the girl, who was apparently aged in her early teens, appeared to be doing well.
"We don't believe there's any specific threat against the girl, but obviously we'd like to secure her release," he said.
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Sydney says the authorities are treating the situation very cautiously, and there is no sign that they are planning to enter the building.
It is the second bomb-related scare the Sydney police have had to face in recent weeks.
A teenager had a fake bomb attached to her neck by an attacker at her home three weeks ago, in an apparent extortion attempt.
A suspect was detained in the US, and is awaiting extradition to Australia