Police are in a stand-off situation with 2 men who have taken up position on the roof of a residential property in Upper Ventnor this afternoon (Thursday).
Officers have been on scene at Lowtherville Road for around an hour now, with multiple units responding to the area off Newport Road shortly before 16:30.
Police have equipped themselves with riot gear and shields to protect them from debris being thrown from above.
Lowtherville Road has been closed to both traffic and pedestrians while the stand-off continues.
Today’s incident comes just 24 hours after a public order incident on Lowtherville Road, as previously reported by Island Echo.
UPDATE @ 17:30 – Onlookers have told Island Echo the 2 men have been throwing concrete blocks at the officers below.
Police dogs have been deployed, with more units responding to the area as the situation escalates.
Residents also say the police drone has been in the sky to provide an aerial view – helpful in arming Police with knowledge for their tactical response.
At least 9 police vehicles are reported to be present in the quiet residential street, with even more located nearby.
UPDATE @ 18:20 – The stand-off continues as we enter Thursday evening.
The 2 males – 1 of whom is dressed in nothing but his boxers – are demanding water and tobacco. They say they are protesting and will not give up.
It’s thought the duo used scaffolding to access the roof top.
Lowtherville Road has been closed in its entirety, meaning residents who live within the cul-de-sac cannot leave their properties with their vehicles blocked in until the incident has been brought to a safe close.
UPDATE @ 18:40 – A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary has said:
“We are currently dealing with an incident on Lowtherville Road.
“We were called at 4.14pm and are currently at the scene.
“We would like to reassure residents that at this stage there is no wider risk to the community.
“We will provide further updates when possible.”
UPDATE @ 19:25 – Both men have come down off the roof of their own accord and have been arrested by Police, bringing the 3-hour stand off to a peaceful conclusion.
1 of the males has descended via the scaffolding, the other via ladder.
The duo are now expected to be taken into custody at Newport Police Station
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I love v town gorgours place wish i was still there to be honest
It’s like narnia just worse
What’s that go to do with this post
That must be the entire island police force then standing around with their arms crossed. Hope they have plenty of doughnuts to hand.
Bring in the S.A.S have it done with and the police can get home for dinner.
It’s not the country I grew up in during the sixties anymore, the liberalisation of our nation has produced Scum that have no respect for anyone or anything.
I’m hoping it does a full circle, and perhaps one day we will have order and respect for each other..
I too grew up in the sixties , and totally agree.
We live in a society now where a significant proportion of people have no respect for those around them, and a legal system that is failing honest people.
We are too soft on drug dealers and criminals in general, crime must not be allowed to pay or we create a grim future for our grandchildren.
The Government need to cut the rhetoric and get on with toughening up the fight against crime.
I feel so sorry for the Police as they do the hard and often dangerous work of arresting the criminals and yobs and they walk from court with no real sense of being punished, and we all pick the bill.
Get the water cannon on them that’ll get them down! If they hit a police dog with those bricks they’ll regret it.
Stick the water hoses on them, if it’s good enough for the inmates when they riot then it’s good enough for these two! Then afterwards send them the bill.
Leave them up there! Hopefully it will pour with rain all night!
well – it isn’t difficult is it.
shut off the electric, shut off the gas, shut off the water – refuse to give them any food or tobacco.
erect the appropriate cordon around the premises and wait patiently – they will give up once they realise they are starving, cold and no booze/baccy or charge in their phones.
total idiots.waste of resources
So what were these guys protesting about ?
Nothing. They are scum who were previously banned from Ventnor for 5 years. Utter pond life.
Bit of an insult to pond life to call this dregs that.
Perhaps the story that the Police ‘found’ a large stash of drugs in the vicinity may have upset them. At one time there were around 50 ‘supporters’ having a BBQ on the Car Sales forecourt.. Oh what a lovely place to live at the moment! It is not as if we don’t know who is dealing and where they deal from, and I know that plenty of folk have reported it to the police many many times!
They had warrants out for their arrest.
Ventnor unfortunately has been going down the pan for several years mainly due to it’s drug problem.
Why obscure their faces ? Lets all see who the scum are
I think everyone in Ventnor knows who these dregs to society are. I named them but apparently that’s not allowed. I suppose they would love the attention anyway..
thats a shame you can’t name them . I would love to see their ugly faces
Throw them of the roof.
Think of all the resources that would be wasted treating any injuries they might sustain as a result. Better to use them as target practice.
I’m sure the liberals would say they come from deprived backgrounds and are not privileged like everyone else and need help and if they get to court, they’d be told now just go away and behave yourselves and don’t do it again. It’s got to the stage where it seems there’s more of this sort of dregs than there are ordinary people.
I eagerly await next year’s Council tax increase after this incident.
Who are these idiots and why are they on the roof throwing concrete and demanding tobacco and water???? DON’T GIVE THEM ANYTHING
Cant we arm the drones and just shoot them
What are they protesting about? The standard of comments on island echo by any chance?
Maybe if we had PREactive rather than REactive policing on the Island, followed up by a Court system that actually punished these idiots then maybe, just maybe we could see some sort of shift in power from the lunatics running the asylum… but ‘lack of officers’, money and abilities seem to ensure that we will be living with this for many many years to come, until we have murders for walking on the wrong street and drive-by shootings! How else will the Police get the money they need to tackle these idiots… much easier to allow it to get out of control, claim ‘lack of resources’ and force the Government to cough up?