Rooftop standoff near Asda ends as man is taken away by police

Police have led away a man involved in a five-hour rooftop standoff after he jumped a short distance on to a balcony.
Police speaking to the man on the roof. Picture: Habibur RahmanPolice speaking to the man on the roof. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Police speaking to the man on the roof. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Crowds of onlookers watched as the incident came to an end in Murefield Road, near Asda in Fratton. He jumped down at around 1.30pm '“ after starting the standoff at 8.40am.

Shocked shoppers in the car park gasped as the man, who has not yet been identified, earlier broke up the tiles and threw them down.

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Firefighters extended the cordon in Asda car park by Garnier Street in Fratton as the man shouted down at police officers before throwing tiles at around 12.50pm.

Police speaking to the man on the roof. Picture: Habibur RahmanPolice speaking to the man on the roof. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Police speaking to the man on the roof. Picture: Habibur Rahman

At around 12.30pm he sprinted across the roof away from Asda and toward Arundel Street but has since moved back to the flat roof.

Police officers were guarding the cordon at the corners close to the Asda petrol station, which remains open.

Traffic was being directed in Arundel Street. Murefield Road had been closed to the public during the incident.

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Police and firefighters have cordoned off Asda car park in Fratton after reports of man on three-storey building nearby. Picture: Habibur RahmanPolice and firefighters have cordoned off Asda car park in Fratton after reports of man on three-storey building nearby. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Police and firefighters have cordoned off Asda car park in Fratton after reports of man on three-storey building nearby. Picture: Habibur Rahman
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A discarded blue hold-all is on the ground next to the building.

Tiles are missing from the roof immediately next to the young man.

Shoppers spotted the man throwing slates towards Asda workers before police arrived this morning.

Police and firefighters have cordoned off Asda car park in Fratton after reports of man on three-storey building nearby. Picture: Habibur RahmanPolice and firefighters have cordoned off Asda car park in Fratton after reports of man on three-storey building nearby. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Police and firefighters have cordoned off Asda car park in Fratton after reports of man on three-storey building nearby. Picture: Habibur Rahman

When officers arrived he threw the blue hold-all down on the ground from the roof, a 54-year-old taxi driver told The News.

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The man, who asked not to be named, said: '˜All I saw was the guys from Asda there and he was throwing tiles at them.

'˜As soon as the police were called he threw down the bag.'

Craig Jenkins, 33, and his fiancé Debbie Pope, 32, walked nearby at 10.15am when the man was on the roof.

'˜He had been chucking stuff off the roof,' Debbie said.

Craig added: '˜We walked through at about 10.15am and the boy was on the roof. He had a slate in his hand he was running up and down the pitch.'

Passing street pastor Annette Welfare, who was with friends from church at the supermarket, said she was praying for a safe conclusion.

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The 57-year-old from Portsmouth said: '˜We're all Christians from Harbour Church in Portsmouth and believe in caring for our community passionately and we know god cares and he can answer our prayers.

'˜We want that guy to be safe and the police and fire to have the right wisdom and guidance and to bring this incident to a safe conclusion for the guy and everybody involved.'

A Hampshire police spokesman said: '˜We were called at 8.41am to deal with an incident on Murefield Road, Portsmouth.

'˜A man was seen on the roof a building.

'˜Officers are currently at the scene.'

Firefighters were called at 9.23am today.

The aerial ladder platform and a crew from Southsea have been called to the incident.

It's understood assessors are checking the damaged at the Portsmouth City Council-owned block.

 

 

 

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