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'It was like something you would see at a prison riot': Man arrested after scaling house roofs for hours

A man was arrested in Oldham after spending several hours scaling the roofs of terraced houses on Countill Road, causing significant disruption. The incident, which began around 4 pm, led to road closures and required police intervention, including the use of riot shields. The man, described as appearing 'manic,' damaged roof tiles and was eventually brought down and arrested on suspicion of criminal damage by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) around 7 pm.

Man Arrested After Hours-Long Rooftop Standoff in Oldham

A man who spent several hours pacing across terraced house roofs in Oldham on Saturday evening has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

The incident began around 4pm when the man climbed onto the roofs of a row of terraces on Countill Road in the Moorside area. Police responded quickly, closing the road and several surrounding streets while they dealt with the situation.

Witnesses described the man’s behavior as increasingly erratic throughout the ordeal. “It was like something you would see at a prison riot or something,” one witness said. “At points he looked really manic, looking left and right as he walked up and down. Other times he was just sat down, looking like he was feeling sorry for himself.”

The man was seen pulling roof tiles from the properties and dropping them to the ground below. Officers at the scene brought riot shields as a precautionary measure during the standoff, which lasted approximately three hours.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the man was brought down safely around 7pm and taken into custody.


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