A 55-year-old man has been arrested and is in police custody following an incident where he took to the roof of Harbour Place’s Hope Centre in Grimsby last night, Tuesday 21 May.
Police were called at around 9.25PM after receiving reports of a man on the roof of the building. During the incident, tiles were thrown from the roof causing extensive damage to the building and a cordon was put in place for the safety of the public. Residents were also evacuated for their safety.
The man eventually came down from the roof early this morning, Wednesday, 22 May. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, affray, threats to kill and public nuisance.
The roof has sustained extensive damage as a result of the incident, which has resulted in additional water damage and impacted the ability of the charity to function as usual. The facilities have had to close for safety whilst the damage is assessed.
Inspector Matt Stringer said: “I appreciate the impact that incidents of this nature can have, both for those who use the facility and the wider community as a whole.
“I would like to thank everyone in the area for their patience and understanding whilst the incident was dealt with and brought to a safe conclusion.
“We are working closely with the local council who are supporting and assisting those directly affected by the incident last night.”
Councillor Ron Shepherd, Cabinet member at NELC for communities, said: “Without Harbour Place, there isn’t any facility in the borough to help rough sleepers access the support they very much need, whether short term support in the day centre, or support to get them back into appropriate living accommodation. We will be working with Harbour Place in the coming weeks to understand what the longer term impact is whilst the facility is repaired.”
