Theft suspect talked down from tree after two hours

A burglary suspect who climbed a tree was brought back down to earth after more than two hours of talks with police negotiators.

Officers were called to reports of a burglary-in-progress at a business premises in Doncaster city centre just after midnight on 9 July.

The suspect fled into a yard and up a tree when officers approached him, putting him "at risk of causing himself serious harm", South Yorkshire Police said.

Negotiators persuaded the man to come down, and he was arrested and charged with burglary and other theft offences. The force hailed a "fantastic example" of teamwork in policing.

Police said one officer had acted as a communicator and another as a support officer, with a third working as a coordinator and an additional district supervisor also on the scene.

Ch Insp Gareth Hyde said: "From the accuracy of the information relayed to response officers on the ground by the call handler, to the diligent work of our negotiators who were called in the middle of the night to ensure the suspect could be safely taken to custody.

"The response was rapid and focused, and negotiators worked calmly and expertly to defuse and de-escalate the situation, resulting in this incident being brought to a peaceful and safe conclusion."

The force said about £400 worth of damage was caused to the business as a result of the break-in.

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