Arrest after man hid from police in Bodmin tree for four hours

A four-hour police stand-off has taken place in Bodmin after a man wanted on suspicion of assault fled officers and hid in a tree.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Liskeard at 5.55pm yesterday (August 31) after reports a man had assaulted two people and was wielding a knife.

Armed police officers attended the address in Castle Street but the man, in his 40s, had already fled the scene.

Police dogs assisted in the search and the suspect was found just under an hour later, hiding up a tree at St Martin’s Church. A cherry picker had to be used to get the man down.

Witnesses said there was a heavy emergency services presence at the tree throughout the evening.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service was also called to the scene and it took just under five hours to coax the man down. 

A police spokesperson said: "The suspect fled the property in Castle Street. Firearms and local officers attended, alongside a dog unit, and conducted an area search.

"A man was located within a tree at a local churchyard around 6.50pm. The fire service attended. Officers conducted a lengthy negotiation with the man. He was brought down safely around 10.40pm with the use of a cherry picker.”

The man was later arrested on suspicion of common assault and assault causing actual bodily harm.