Northumbria Police are searching for a man who climbed onto the roof of Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead and allegedly threw missiles at people below. Officers attended the incident at the gallery on Prince Consort Road in the early hours of Tuesday after receiving a report at 12:45am.
Man refused to come down
The man initially refused to come down from the roof before allegedly throwing objects towards those below, according to a police spokesperson. He is then believed to have left the area, and enquiries are ongoing to locate him.
A section of Prince Consort Road was closed to traffic while the incident was ongoing but has since re-opened. Emergency services attended the scene, and the road closure was lifted once the man had left.
Police appeal for information
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "At 12.45am today (Tuesday) we received a report that a man had climbed onto the roof of a premises on Prince Consort Road in Gateshead. Emergency services attended and the man refused to come down before allegedly throwing missiles towards those below. The man is then believed to have left the area and enquiries are ongoing to locate him. A section of the road which was closed to traffic while the incident was ongoing has since re-opened."
Police have not released a description of the suspect at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact Northumbria Police.
Shipley Art Gallery has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded. The gallery, which houses a collection of fine and decorative arts, was not damaged in the incident.
