THREE Hyndburn teenagers have been charged after a dramatic stand-off with a police helicopter.
Jonathan Ellis-Stockman, 19, of Adelaide Street, Clayton-le-Moors, and two 16-year-old youths, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, have been charged with criminal damage and theft after being arrested on the roof of Accrington Victoria Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday.
Police were called after a neighbour reported three people acting suspiciously and trying to climb on to the hospital roof.
It is alleged that the three teenagers were trying to steal lead.
A police spokesman said: "We received a call regarding three youths acting suspiciously around the hospital. When we arrived we surrounded the hospital in a bid to get them down and the police helicopter was called in for extra encouragement.
"When the youths realised they were being filmed and they weren’t going to get away they quickly came down and were arrested before being taken to Accrington Police Station for questioning.’’
"The theft of scrap metal, especially lead, has been on the increase in Accrington over recent months."
All three were charged on Tuesday and Ellis-Stockman is due before Hyndburn magistrates next Thursday.
