POLICE cordoned off parts of Bournemouth town centre on Friday night, May 4, after a man climbed scaffolding and refused to come down.

The incident started in Gervis Place at 8.15pm and police cordoned off a “wide area”, closing roads around the Square, and the public urged to keep away from the scene, the spokesman said.

Witnesses reported the man was on scaffolding at the NatWest building, refusing to come down. He was apparently throwing objects such as cans and cement bags and was shouting at people on the ground.

A spokesman for the force said a man was committing public order offences. He was arrested in the early hours of Saturday and the cordons were lifted.

The incident came the night after the Square had to be closed when another man scaled the same scaffolding.