Town centre drama as man threatens to jump from roof (From This Is Lancashire)

Town centre drama as man threatens to jump from roof

9:14am Thursday 16th July 2009

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A town centre street was cordoned off for four hours after a man climbed on top of a roof and threatened to jump.

Police were called to Market Street, Chorley, after reports a man had smashed a window shortly after 10pm on Wednesday night.

When they arrived 22-year-old Stuart Young had climbed on to the roof of Argos and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Dozens of police cordoned off the scene and trained negotiators were called in to try and talk the man down.

After a four-hour stand off the man came down from the roof at 2.30am, and was immediately arrested.

Citizen reporter Chris Gee was in the town centre at around 11.30pm during the incident.

He said: "Police had sealed off the entire length of Market Street from the Town Hall to the Big Lamp.

"They weren't allowing anyone to enter.

"I walked down Dole Lane and there was around eight police vehicles and a fire engine on the car park at the back of the bank.

"Dozens of officers had sealed off the area but I could hear a man shouting from the roof area.

"He seemed to be taunting police and they had created a ring of officers around the building.”

Stuart Young, 22, of Back Fazakerley Street, Chorley, has been charged with racially aggravated harrasment, racially aggravated criminal damage, racially aggravated threat of violence and criminal damage to property causing damage under £5,000.

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