Drama as teenager threatens to jump from roof of Oldham Evening Chronicle
Date published: 18 July 2022
The incident happened overnight on Sunday
A teenager who climbed onto a roof in Oldham Edge and attempted to light a fire in a flat has been taken into police custody.
Police and the fire service attended the office of the Oldham Chronicle on Henshaw Street in Oldham after reports from neighbours that someone had been seen on the roof of the adjacent building at around 9pm on Sunday evening.
The area was cordoned off whilst police negotiators attempted to speak to the boy.
Pictures from CCTV show the teenager sitting on the roof at the front of the building, before moving to the side - which has a sheer 15m drop – and indicated he may jump.
Shortly afterwards, he began tearing tiles from the roof and throwing them into parked cars, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.
At around midnight, the young man smashed the windows in the first floor flat of the building with another roof tile. Witnesses say he entered the kitchen of the apartment, where he attempted to start a fire.
He then collected glass bottles from the kitchen before throwing them into the surrounding area.
The occupants, who were at home at the time, were evacuated from the flat following the break-in.
After climbing back onto the roof, the boy then began to throw kitchen knives into the car park, which landed close to the smashed glass from the bottles.
A small crowd of onlookers were moved back towards the White House pub during the incident which was attended by two fire appliances, three police vehicles, and an ambulance.
A Tactical Aid Unit also attended.
The teenager finally left the roof at around 3am after discussions with a police negotiator.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police told the Chronicle: “At around 9:20pm on Sunday 17 July 2022, we received a report of arson on Henshaw Street, Oldham.
"Officers attended the scene.
"A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson not endangering life and the boy remains in custody.”
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