A 17 year old suspected of trying to steal lead from the roofs of town centre stores badly disrupted a trade for retailers, including Walmsley’s, in Preston yesterday.

The 17-year-old was spotted clambering across the roof of a hair salon on Friargate at 4.50am yesterday, and refused to come down after police turned up.

Police closed the road – one of Preston’s main shopping streets – and other nearby streets were also affected.

Stores were unable to open until 12.45pm. Dean Higham, Walmsley’s store manager said: ‘We have not been allowed to trade at all. We have got to stay and answer the phones and the deliveries are all having to come in the back way.’

The teenager eventually came off the roof at just after 3pm.

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