Police have just released details about a rooftop drama which happened in a Chester suburb in the early hours.

A homeless male had to be brought down from the roof of a property in Westminster Park after the incident was reported at 12.30am on Friday (January 12).

He spent more than four-and-a-half hours on the roof in the cold as a negotiator tried to reason with him after being lifted up to his height on the fire service hydraulic platform.

The man, named by police as Martin Williams, 37, of no fixed address, came down about 5.10am when he was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

Despite the wintry conditions, he was thankfully unharmed. Paramedics from North West Ambulance Service were in attendance.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: “At 00.29 on Friday 12 January, 2017, officers were called to reports of a disturbance at an address on Cottage Road, Chester. Officers swiftly attended the scene and a man was found on the roof of the property.

"Cheshire Fire were called to the scene to enable officers to use a cherry-picker to reach the man and negotiate with him.

A man had to be brought down from the roof of a property in Westminster Park in the early hours of Friday (January 12). Picture: Cheshire Police

“At approximately 5.10am the man was brought down from the roof safe and well and was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.”

Mr Williams was subsequently charged with two counts of criminal damage and one count of affray. He was remanded in police custody and was due to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates the following day (Saturday, January 13).

Chief Inspector Michael Evans, who leads Chester Local Policing Unit, praised Sergeant Jen Kent for heading up the operation which ended safely.

He tweeted: “Received two emails this weekend from local residents praising the emergency service response to roof top incident during the early hours of Friday morning in Westminster Park. Really appreciated and look forward to passing on to the team and 999 colleagues.”

He also thanked McDonald’s for ‘keeping our cops, fire and ambo full of hot drinks!’.