Roof-hopping youths 'risking their lives' as free-running craze takes off in Beverley
YOUTHS are risking their lives by "free running" across rooftops in Beverley town centre, police have warned.
It follows similar concerns raised in Cottingham, where businesses have taken action to stop youths roof hopping across the tops of shops and offices.
In Beverley, roof-hopping youths have also been hurling stones at windows and pelting mud at passers-by from the rooftops, sparking the threat of prosecution.
Inspector Rob Cocker, in charge of neighbourhood policing in Beverley, said: "Youths are getting on to rooftops and running around.
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"They have also been throwing things at people.
"They are quite a height from the ground and it's a bit slimy up there so if they are messing about and end up falling , it could be fatal."
Insp Cocker warned any youths caught on the rooftops could face prosecution, punishable by a maximum three months in prison.
He said: "By trespassing as a bit of a prank, they may find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
"They may be committing an offence by being on the rooftops.
"If it becomes a persistent problem, we will consider taking action to send a strong message out there. It has escalated with the damage.
"Breaking windows is an offence, that is criminal damage."
Insp Cocker said businesses in the town centre are being advised to review the security of their buildings.
He said: "The message to traders is to review security and be satisfied the premises are safe and they do not present a risk to neighbouring premises and they do not leave themselves liable for any injuries.
"They are the victims of people misbehaving but such is the current claims culture, they really do need to be satisfied that their property is safe."
Some traders are now using anti-vandal paint to deter youths from scaling their buildings.
Similar action has already been taken in Cottingham, where youths were free running over buildings in a craze also known as parkour.
Inspector Andy Woodhead, senior neighbourhood policing officer for Cottingham, said: "A couple of months ago, we had the craze of roof hopping, or free running, in Cottingham.
"We reminded businesses about their liability for their buildings and a lot of them made it harder for youths to get onto the roofs by putting up anti-climbing frames and using anti-vandal paint.
"We did some patrols in the area and we involved outreach youth workers to engage with the kids.
"We also got them into Hull to a proper venue where they could do that sort of stuff in a safer environment."
Parkour, or free running, has its origins in France.
Interest was boosted after parkour professionals were used to perform stunts in films such as the James Bond movie Casino Royale and the Bourne trilogy.
Comments
by Chr1sBullock
Friday, January 11 2013, 9:49PM
“i'm a traceur from willerby and i want to say a few things, this is not free running or is it parkour, as a person who trains i personally think that going on roofs is stupid and looking for trouble. i usualy train in hull city centre on weekends and i can openly say that we do not like going on roofs and places where we're asking for trouble. we train in public areas and if we're asked to move on we do so with upmost respect. we have met some people who do not do this and they themselfs are not welcome by us.
most people like us belive that a place to train is a place you can go to time and again. we try to keep the spots in the best condition and we try our best to leave the spots undamaged, i myself belive that i should leave a place how i expect to find it.
it annoys me that all people see is little gits using freerunning as an excuse to do bad things and get away with it. i do not wish to be put into the stereotype of a kid with nothing better to do then to climb on a roof and cause trouble for the sake of it.
i would like to say that the police should do all they can to stop people going on roofs because it's absolutely stupid, my best oppinion is to direct people to get together to help set up area's or places where people can go to train parkour/freerunning safely, weather you're new or not. in a propper enviroment. because at the moment the current veiw of us is horrible because of what the select few do and how it gives us a bad name.
it really sucks to see children dooing things like this close to home =/”
by daleia
Friday, January 11 2013, 9:49PM
“forgot to add please guys I'm fed up of this 'craze talk' is not a "CRAZE" its a discipline.
Yo-yo's were a craze, Pogs were a craze, Parkour is something to define your life by.
Helping kids and young people to get some direction in life.
Having stong body and mind helps you achieve much more and be so much more self confident than those who just sit behind a computer all day complaining about things they don't understand.”
by daleia
Friday, January 11 2013, 9:46PM
“not the most detailed story iv ever read on the subject.
it seems like people are mixing up traceurs (people who practice parkour as a discipline) and muppets who use it as an excuse to do things they shouldnt.
its like saying martial arts need to be banned because kids were seen fighting (with no real link to any martial art)
i cant vouch for everyone but as a coach of the discipline we encourage people to be respectful of their environment and create good ties to local people and businesses because they risk losing their privelage to move how they want to through public areas by those who dont understand what they do.”
by AstynomiaKats
Friday, January 11 2013, 5:51PM
“Insp Cocker ...
By trespassing as a bit of a prank, they may find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
"They may be committing an offence by being on the rooftops.
No they ARE on the wrong side of the law and the ARE committing an offence - if only Blunderside police could recognise this and act we may have a little more sympathy for the force ( is use the word force lightly)”
by highfivehigh
Friday, January 11 2013, 1:37PM
“These kids are certainly not dooing parkour nor freerunning.
I've met many traceurs / freerunners - and have always been amazed by the respect they bring against themselves and their environment. They always took time for pedestrians to explain what they do, why the do it and more.
When residents/police approached them - they politely spoke to them (they always train at public places) and went of when the residents don't wanted them around. I never saw any one of them aggressive, offensive and such.
I'm 100% sure these kids - maybe saw some videos on the Internet and started climbing some buildings. They should meet some traceurs and start dooing parkour, since then they would not have any time to illegally climb on buildings and throw stuff on people.”
by dontwo
Friday, January 11 2013, 11:17AM
“Could be that these youths are some of the people Mr Parnaby said "dont like" walking on the setts or maybe they have taken him seriously when he declared that the cobbles in Beverley were dangerous. so rather than risk this danger, they decided to keep off them and decided it was safer to roof hop instead?.....”
by CarmellaBrown
Friday, January 11 2013, 10:40AM
“I would decorate my roof with lard”
by dellboy1959
Friday, January 11 2013, 9:50AM
“Let the idiots get on with it,they'll only fall one and that's one less to contaminate the gene pool.”
by zacklaws
Friday, January 11 2013, 9:00AM
“Will this change the argument on "Sett's" or "Tarmac"....which is the most dangerous to fall on?”
by goldenspecial
Friday, January 11 2013, 8:48AM
“Sounds like something out of Mary Poppins”