A man who forced his way into the studios of Dutch national broadcaster NOS and demanded to go on live television had no known links to terrorist organisations and acted alone, police have said.

During the incident on Thursday evening the 19-year-old took a hostage, waving a replica pistol and demanding to address the nation, apparently about a conspiracy theory. Television footage showed the youth, who wore a suit, offering no resistance when police arrested him at gunpoint.

Police said he had admitted fabricating claims of having explosives and belonging to a hackers organisation. "There is no evidence of any connection with other events in the Netherlands or abroad," a police statement said.

No one was harmed in the incident in Hilversum near Amsterdam. But it raised questions about the effectiveness of security measures in the wake of the deadly attacks on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

It also forced the NOS off the air for the 8pm news - the most widely viewed evening news programme in the country.

Police spokeswoman Hilde Bakker said the man faces charges of kidnapping and making threats of violence. Dutch media identified the man was a first year student at the University of Delft, and quoted classmates saying he led a rich fantasy life.