Man charged following roof top incident in St Leonards

Following an incident involving a man on the roof of a property in Sedlescombe Road on Tuesday 29 April, a man has been charged and remanded in custody.

Officers were called to the address at around 12.30pm to a report of a disturbance inside the property.

As a precaution, a road closure and cordon were put in place at the junctions of London Road and Duke Street to ensure the safety of the public, officers, and the man while the incident was ongoing. These restrictions have since been lifted.

After several hours, the man safely exited the roof and was not injured. He was arrested at the scene.

Dylan Battams, 30, of St Leonards, appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 1 May, where he was charged with offences including attempted assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, affray, causing a public nuissance, assaulting an emergency worker and six counts of criminal damage. He has been remanded and will next appear in court on 1 June.

Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor said: “We recognise the disruption caused to the community and local businesses whilst the incident was ongoing.

“Our priority is always public safety, and the road closures and cordon enabled officers to bring this incident to a safe resolution for the public and the individual involved.

“I would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding.”