A TEENAGER has been arrested after climbing on top of a roof and tearing off and throwing slates.

Local residents and business people were alarmed when they first noticed the teenager on the roof of Ainsworth Lord Estates on New Chapel Street in Mill Hill, Blackburn at around 1.30pm this afternoon.

Eye witnesses say that he began tearing tiles of the roof and throwing them at a nearby butchers shop that was filled with customers at the time.

Paul Ainsworth-Lord, owner of Ainsworth Lord Estates, said: "It was totally out of the blue, nothing to do with us and then the next thing you know he was throwing tyres at the road, shouting abuse, throwing tiles at the butcher, threatening the butcher.

"The two young women who work here were absolutely terrified."

He added: "It's like the world's gone mad, when I speak to the police and there is stuff that happens you wouldn't believe.

"It makes you wonder what's gone wrong with the world."

The Westmorland Gazette:

The teenager was on the roof for around an hour and a half

Verity Holmes, who works at Ainsworth Lord Estates, was one of the employees who was forced to shelter inside.

She said: "Someone just came to the door and said there was some idiot on the roof chucking slates around."

Ms Holmes' colleague Shannon Upton said they were left with no option but to wait until the police arrived.

She said: "We were sat in here, and I'm sat near the window so I saw the slates smashing up against it."

She added: "We just had to sit here waiting for the police to arrive.

"The building was shaking when he was jumping about throwing things."

The Westmorland Gazette:

Police were on the scene earlier today

Meanwhile, police confirmed that the received a call at around 2.20pm reporting that someone had been seen on a roof pulling of slates and throwing them.

He had first climbed onto the roof between 1.30pm and 1.45pm and remained on their for around an hour and a half before eventually coming down at which point he was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage at around 3.20pm.

The Westmorland Gazette:

Police officers examining the scene 

A police spokesperson confirmed that the boy is sixteen years old and that he is currently in custody at Greenbank Police Station.

The owner of the butcher's shop did not wish to comment.