A man has barricaded himself on a block of flats near a school causing a police siege.

Ilford Recorder: Police try to talk a man down from the roof of a block of flats on Bunces Lane Woodford GreenPolice try to talk a man down from the roof of a block of flats on Bunces Lane Woodford Green (Image: Archant)

Officers attended the three story building at The Roses, High Road, Woodford Green, at around 7.40am to make arrest enquiries.

A police spokesman said the man blocked the front of the property, preventing officers from entering the building before dashing upstairs.

“He went up on the roof where he is currently,” said the spokesman.

“Officers are talking to him.”

Ilford Recorder: Police try to talk a man down from the roof of a block of flats on Bunces Lane Woodford GreenPolice try to talk a man down from the roof of a block of flats on Bunces Lane Woodford Green (Image: Archant)

An onlooker said: “He’s been on the roof crawling around.

“I saw some riot shields and there’s a helicopter circling.”

A woman from Loughton, who was visiting her 94-year-old father said: “You never know what people will do, it’s a crazy world.”

The man has holed out next to St Aubyn’s School, in Bunces Lane.

It remained unclear what the police enquiries initially were.

A woman who wished to remained unnamed said: “I think they were there to evict him. Once they get him out he wont be going back.”

An elderly onlooker said: “People are crazy, they have more out than in. That’s why I like animals.”

More to follow.