Shops in Oxford city centre were cleared of customers and workers told to stay inside by police when a man threatened to jump from a church tower.

The 20-year-old man sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the tower of St Michael at the Northgate Church in Cornmarket Street for more than an hour yesterday afternoon (October 28).

It was the second such incident at the church tower in six weeks.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called just before 3pm. Most of Cornmarket Street was cordoned off and police dispersed a crowd which had gathered beneath the tower while officers persuaded the man to come down.

Photographer Jan Matthews, who works at Snappy Snaps opposite the tower, said the man shouted at him because he was taking pictures.

Mr Matthews said: "He told me to stop taking pictures. He was just sitting there looking down at people.

"There was quite a crowd gathering until the police came. They told us to stay in the shop."

One Cornmarket shop worker said police would not let staff in or out to take their lunch break. She said: "The police came racing up the street and cordoned it off. They told us to get customers out and shut the shop. Staff couldn't come in or out.

"They obviously have to do it, but it's bad for business, and it's the second time this has happened recently."

Mobile phone salesman Steve Evins said: "He was sitting with his legs over the edge.

"The police closed the street from Debenhams to McDonalds.They told us to move back into the shop.

"No-one could get into the street at all."

A police spokesman said: "A man was threatening to throw himself off the tower. Officers managed to successfully negotiate with him and took him down.

"He was taken to St Aldate's police station."

Last month, part of the street was cordoned off for more than an hour when a voluntary patient from the Warneford Hospital in Oxford threatened to jump before agreeing to come down.