A BOY aged 12 boy remained in police custody today after damaging a squad car by hurling slates from the roof of a terrace house.

He was taken to Burnley police station after the incident in Branch Road.

A police negotiator spent nearly 90 minutes talking to the boy before he agreed to come off the roof at 11.30pm.

Fire Station Officer Dave Jackson, said: "He was running the length of the roof on Branch Road down to Parliament Street. He was picking slates off the roof and throwing them.

"This is the first time I have been called to the lad, but the fire crew have been called to him three or four times and other crews have also helped to get him off the roof.

"He normally just makes a fuss until he calms down, but this time he was causing damage.

"Eventually he calmed down and agreed to come off the roof and firefighters and a police officer went up in the aerial platform to safely bring him down."

The boy was arrested on public order and criminal damage charges and was taken to Burnley police station, where he was due to be interviewed by officers today.