A man remains in custody following a stand off with armed Gardaí at a church in Dublin yesterday evening.

Special detectives and Dublin Fire Brigade were called to St Agnes Church in Crumlin at around 5.45.

They'd been responding to reports a man had sprayed himself and the altar with a substance.

He was later arrested after garda negotiators managed to persuade him to stand down.

The man can be held for up to 24 hours.