THE action of youngsters who were spotted climbing across roofs in Colchester has been described as “dangerous” after a rise in incidents over the half term.

During a patrol on Friday, police were alerted to two boys who had accessed a roof in the city centre but quickly returned to the ground when the officers approached them. 

Officers say they found “suitable grounds” to conduct a stop and search, and found a small catapult.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “While there are no suggestions the found item has been used in an illegal manner, the officers spoke with parents and have given a very detailed explanation as to the dangers and consequences of going on to the rooftops. 

“This is extremely dangerous due to the heights of some of the rooftops but can also cause damage to the tiles and cost the local businesses to repair.” 

Essex Police said there was a rise of young people climbing on to rooftops across the city centre during the half term.

The actions were also branded “dangerous” by city centre councillor Richard Kirkby-Taylor.

He said: “When children and teenagers get bored, they go out to find exciting things to do and unfortunately, these exciting things are dangerous. 

“They will always go out and find things to do. 

“It all comes down to the removal of facilities for the youths and this is a long-running negative austerity. The national government has failed them.” 

On the incident, Colchester Council said it was “extremely concerned” about the reports and insisted it would work with police to tackle antisocial behaviour.

A spokesman said: “This is incredibly dangerous due to the height of some of the buildings, can cause serious damage to roof tiles and puts the safety of the public below at risk.

“We would also like to remind local businesses and building owners that keeping your premises secure, especially dangerous areas such as rooftops, is of utmost importance.”

The incident is not the first time youths have been spotted on roofs in Colchester.

Last year, three youngsters climbed the Pound Stretcher building in St John’s Street, with a picture shared on social media.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

A gang of youngsters was also sighted on top of the British Heart Foundation shop in the High Street in May 2022.

They were spotted dropping things from the roof and playing football. 

This was followed by an incident that took place in July, when a group of children repeatedly gained access to the top of shops in Short Wyre Street.