Teenager falls from roof during botched attempt to elude police

A man tried to escape the police by running on the roofs of the Black Country. Officers were called to the Riverway in Wednesbury following reports of an attempted burglary.

They arrived at around 12.20pm today (Thursday June 6) and found two men who had climbed over fences to escape them. One of the men managed to escape, but the second was trapped in a garden, police said.

The man pulled himself onto an outbuilding roof and ran over several buildings on the street. He fell further from one of the buildings and was quickly arrested.

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A zombie knife and an angle grinder were then discovered in the area. An 18-year-old man from Wednesbury has been arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody for questioning.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We have arrested a man for attempted burglary after he tried to elude officers by running across rooftops in Sandwell. At around 12.20pm we were called to Riverway in Wednesbury to an attempted burglary at council garages.

“Officers arrived and two men attempted to climb over fences to evade police. One man managed to escape but the second man was trapped in a back garden.

“In an attempt to escape, the man decided to climb onto an outbuilding roof and run over other outbuildings in the street. However, he was quickly brought back to the ground and officers apprehended him after he fell onto a roof.”

They added: “During a search of the area a zombie knife and angle grinder were recovered. An 18-year-old man from Wednesbury has been arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody for questioning.

“If you notice any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, please report it to us by calling 101 or via LiveChat.”