A MAN wielding a knife climbed on to a shop roof and threatened to jump, bringing York city centre to a standstill.

Police cordoned-off Coney Street and New Street for more than an hour after the man appeared above Starbucks coffee shop, and cut his own chest and arms.

The drama began at 3.35pm yesterday. Police spokesman Ron Johnson said they had a call from a member of the public who had seen the man on the roof.

He said: "He was in an agitated state and threatening to jump."

Eyewitness Jennifer Tulip, who works at the Orange shop, opposite Starbucks, said: "We saw him scramble right up the corner of the Starbucks building and then climb across on to a lower roof.

"Someone else had already called the police and they were here quite quickly and cordoned-off the area.

"We could see him walking about on the lower roof, but I think he was wandering all over the roofs on that side. He took his top off after a while and started waving it around his head, then we saw him come to the edge with three cuts right across his chest."

Jamie Sawyer, assistant manager at the nearby O2 store said: "He was calmly walking around, smoking a cigarette. But then he took his shirt off and started cutting into himself with a knife."

His colleague, Nicole Liebenberg, said: "He made a big bloody cross on his chest and took his jacket off and was swaying at the edge."

She said he appeared to have a Stanley knife.

Police initially set up a cordon around the junction of Coney Street and New Street, but at 4.05pm the man came to the edge of the building. He was naked from the waist up, had cuts across the front of his body and was cutting his right arm.

The cordon was then extended 60 metres along Coney Street. Shop staff and customers remained inside while the street was closed.

Police called a trained negotiator to talk the man down, but he came down voluntarily at 4.45pm. The cordon was removed at 4.55pm.

Firefighters set up a turntable ladder, but a fire service spokesman said they were only on standby.

Afterwards Inspector Dave Pegg said: "He is safe and well and he's being checked by the paramedics. He's got very minor lacerations, self-inflicted, to his chest, and we have taken him to Fulford Road Police Station."

He said one officer briefly spoke to the man when police first arrived, but there was no further communication while he was on the roof.

Damien David, 18, said: "We were in Virgin and they said we had to come out because there was a man on the roof, then we looked up and saw him."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said it was too early to know the man's motives.

Two ambulances attended the scene, but were not used.

Police said the man, who has not been named, was taken to York Hospital for treatment to his cuts and wounds. He was checked over by doctors and later released.

It is thought unlikely he will face any further police action.

Updated: 09:34 Thursday, March 02, 2006