Rooftop roamer returns

Remember the naked bloke who perched on the rooftops of Vic Street last year? Well, either he’s back with a vengeance or he’s got a copycat. . .

At 10.20pm last night, police, ambulances and fire engines appeared on Elmside after reports of a man roaming the rooftops.

The scene on Elmside last night. Pictures by Josh Spector. Pic: Josh Spector

Residents (mostly students) on the sleepy street were escorted from their homes as the man moved from roof to roof.

An eyewitness told The Tab how police negotiators pleaded with the man to come down. In reply, he threw several roof tiles, at one point almost falling from his rooftop perch.

Those evacuated had to wear hard hats to prevent them from being injured by the erratic tile-flinging.

Around 15 police, two ambulances and two fire engines were on the scene. A police helicopter was even seen searching for the shady character.

Our eyewitness overheard police say: “Remember the Vic Street guy? It’s him again.”

However, unlike his Vic Street counterpart, the Elmside adventurer was dressed in a grey hoody.

After a four-hour stand-off, the man was eventually arrested. He was brought down using a hoist.

Admittedly not the clearest picture you’ll ever see on The Tab. Pic: Josh Spector

The witness said: “He was scampering around on top of the roof, not saying anything apart from occasionally (when very agitated) mumbling what sounded like ‘Tony’.”

The man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage to the roof. Police confirmed have confirmed that he remains in custody.

Police could not confirm whether the man was the same person who camped out naked on top of a house on Vic Street last year.

All we know is that for four hours, this guy probably felt on top of the world (or at least on top of Exeter).