A man led police and firefighters on an eight-hour race along rooftops.

The 32-year-old Brighton man was first spotted on top of buildings in Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton, at around 10pm on Wednesday.

It is believed he had climbed onto the four-storey properties via scaffolding.

A worried resident called Sussex Police fearing he might jump.

Emergency services arrived at the scene with trained negotiators and a cherry picker.

Attempts to talk him down failed as he moved between roofs with the use of a short ladder.

He moved from Upper Rock Gardens to Edward Street at around 11pm and spent some time sitting on top of a chimney.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: “A lot of residents were phoning us when they could see him so we could keep track.

“They were worried he might come through one of their windows.”

After more than eight hours he was convinced by police to lower himself into a flat using a metal fire escape.

He was then detained and arrested by police inside the property at 6.30am.

Police closed the road for several hours while the operation was being carried out.

The man was detained under the Mental Health Act.

David Fernandez, of Upper Rock Gardens, said: “We came home from dinner at around midnight and could see police and fire crews.

“We have a window at the back of our property and could hear police asking a man to come down.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I came out when I saw police and realised there was someone on the roof.

“He was moving quite nimbly. It was difficult to keep track of him.”

Roedean crew manager Anthony Bush said it had been a long night for the firefighters.

He said: “By the time we had got a firefighter strapped into a harness and ready to go up on one rooftop, the man would move off again.

“We had to be careful not to spook him or make any sudden movements in case he slipped off.

“It started to rain and he was beginning to slip off the roofs.

“He was pretty exhausted by the end of it.”