A suspected burglar climbed up onto the roof of a church building after reportedly fleeing from the police.

Officers were called to Essex Road, Dartford this afternoon to carry out the planned arrest of a man.

The suspect, 42, fled on foot and clambered up onto the roof of a nearby church in Priory Hill shortly after 1.15pm.

Resident Paul Williams spotted the incident as he was driving past from his home in nearby Westgate Road.

The retired police officer said the man appeared to be shouting to a group of men and women down below.

"When I came back half-an-hour later he was on the roof and there were about a dozen police around - two of them were speaking to him through a broken window," he said.

The 58-year-old said the road was cordoned off by police for around two hours whilst they attended to talk him down.

"He was on the roof and there were about a dozen police around - two of them were speaking to him through a broken window..."

Three police cars attended and officers say the man came down voluntarily a short time later.

He was later arrested on suspicion of a burglary believed to have been committed in Dartford in February.

The church's pastor Ayodeji Adesina confirmed the building he was located on was the Blessed Hope SDA in West Hill.

He said: "I believe the man has been taken down and led away from the premises.

"We received a call from a CCTV company and we sent two of our members down to see what happened."

The clergyman said police were already in attendance by the time they arrived and it's understood he used a broken window to access the building.

The arrested man has since been bailed pending further investigation into allegations of burglary and criminal damage.