The man was eventually lowered down from the roof on a stretcher after the incident on Saturday afternoon.

Officers were called to reports of a man on top of a building in Greengate Walk, Stafford, at around 1.15pm.

The man refused to come down and police were there for two hours attempting to help.

At one point the man started throwing faeces at those trying to help, an act an officer described as "disgusting" and "disgraceful".

He was then brought safely to the ground by the working at heights team using a rescue stretcher and ropes at around 3.30pm.

The man since been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences and taken into custody for questioning.

Sergeant Phil Jones, chairman of Staffordshire Police Federation, was called to help with the incident.

He said: "Deployed to assist colleagues with a male on a roof.

"Male decided to throw human faeces at my colleagues - disgusting, disgraceful and unacceptable. Male now in custody."

Superintendent Karen Stevenson, head of Staffordshire Police's head of operations unit, added: "Deployment for our working at heights team this afternoon using their rope rescue operator training skills in the Stafford area.

"We got to try out the brand new sked rescue stretcher that only arrived yesterday to lower the reluctant male to the ground."