Man threatening to jump from window shuts road (From Southend Standard)

Man threatening to jump from window shuts road

11:30am Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News

DOZENS of emergency service staff spent two hours in a street after a man threatened to jump from a second floor window.

Clifftown Road in Southend was shut at about 12.45am on Friday after a concerned member of the public spotted a man partly on a window ledge above a shop and called the police.

Witnesses questioned why so many emergency workers were needed as the road was flooded with emergency vehicles and flashing blue lights.

It is believed the 39-year-old man had thrown glasses or bottles out of the window towards police.

A witness who did not want to be named said: “This held up so many fire, police and ambulance. There were about seven police cars, an ambulance and three paramedics cars plus two fire engines. All for a drunk guy who was only two floors up.

“The road was closed so people couldn’t get back to the homes and it was freezing cold waiting around.

“All this for one person.

“The man was drunk and throwing abuse at everyone who was trying to help him the entire two hours.”

After two hours fire crews from Southend were stood down.

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said no arrests were made. She said: “We were called at 12.45am and to a man on a window ledge. We had concerns for his welfare.

“Police persuaded the man to go back inside and spent time talking to him through the door.

“Due to his distressed state officers forced the door of the flat and he was taken to hospital for assessment around 3am