YOUTHS are “risking their lives” by climbing up a 100ft town centre roof on a weekly basis – and one has already been injured as a result of their actions.

A police helicopter and the fire service had to be called in the early hours of Sunday morning after reports of two teenagers on the roof above Batemans and the Halifax bank in Kendrick Street, Stroud.

Police cordoned off the area – and officers climbed up the building using ladders provided by the fire service as a rooftop chase ensued towards the Job Centre.

With the help of the National Police Air Service at Filton, two teenagers, both 17, were tracked down.

They were arrested on suspicion of burglary but subsequently released without charge.

It is the third weekend in succession that police have been called to reports of people on the three-storey high roof above shops in Kendrick Street.

Andy Bateman, owner of Batemans Sports, warned that somebody could be killed if the dangerous activity continues to occur.

“The first incident happened at the Stroud Fringe weekend,” said Mr Bateman, 51, from Stroud.

“One of them fell off the roof into a window.

“There was blood everywhere and I expect whoever fell would have been badly cut.

“If you are going up there you are risking your life. They are only going one way and that is that they are digging their own hole.”

Mr Bateman said he is planning to install CCTV to catch the culprits.

He warned that the activity is damaging roof tiles and could cause considerably more harm to buildings in the area.

According to an eyewitness, the youths have been seen on the roof “dangling their feet” over the edge of buildings.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police: “We are warning the public of the dangers of trespassing onto property and climbing on to a roof.

“Not only does this have a big impact on the owners of these properties and surrounding buildings, the perpetrators are potentially putting themselves at risk of serious harm.

“This is thoughtless and completely unacceptable behaviour and will not be tolerated by police.”