An ongoing emergency standoff has gripped Southampton for nearly 15 hours after a man was spotted pacing on the roof of a four-storey block of flats in Bitterne.
Hampshire Police have been at the scene on Bursledon Road since 9.30pm last night, setting up a large cordon around the building. Firefighters from Hightown Fire Station arrived with an aerial ladder platform to aid the operation as the man remained on the rooftop, visible to shoppers and passers-by.
Paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service stand ready while residents are urged not to engage with the man, now identified as Josh. He has been calling out to people below and, alarmingly, started throwing roof tiles onto the street.
Both lanes of Bursledon Road are now closed, causing traffic chaos as officers manage slow-moving diversions.
Josh is reportedly armed with a wooden stake and a screwdriver. He has damaged a metal pole supporting a satellite dish and threatened fire crews with it. Firefighters and police have taken fire extinguishers to the scene as a precaution.
Authorities continue negotiations, urging the public to avoid the area while the tense standoff unfolds.
Originally published by UKNIP.
