Man threatens to jump off roof in Stafford

A man brought panic to Stafford town centre when he threatened to jump from a rooftop.

The man, thought to have been in his forties, threatened to jump from a residential roof in Friars Walk, at 3.40pm yesterday. Specially trained police negotiators were called to the scene and the man agreed to come down at around 4.30pm.

The alleyway at Friars Walk was closed off until the man was down safely.

Paul Dhanda, who own's Paul's News, in Newport Road, near to Friars' Walk, said it caused a commotion around the area but the drama was confined to around the alleyway.

He said: "There were about three police cars and an ambulance at the scene.

"He threatened to jump but they managed to coax him down, but there were about half a dozen police officers who closed off the gulley at both sides.

"It didn't affect the traffic as it was all around the back of here, in Friars Walk."