Carlisle Dixons chimney: Man stuck on 290ft structure has died Published duration 28 October 2019

image copyright PA Media image caption Emergency services tried to rescue the man for several hours

A man who was stuck upside down at the top of a 290ft former mill chimney for about 15 hours has died.

Emergency services were called to Dixons Chimney in Carlisle at about 02:20 GMT but an attempt to rescue him with a helicopter was abandoned.

A specialist cherry picker from Scotland was drafted in to help and the man, in his 50s and from Carlisle, was brought down at about 16:45 GMT.

Cumbria Police confirmed he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesman said they knew his identity and specialist officers were assisting his family.

He said while the man had responded to rescuers earlier, there had been no contact for "some hours" before a specialist team used the cherry picker to reach him.

The rescue effort was described as "highly complex" and included the use of drones to assess the scene.

Police said specialist firefighters, who are trained to work at height, lowered the man down from the chimney.

image copyright PA Media image caption Roads around the listed local landmark were closed during the rescue operation

Supt Matt Kennerley earlier said attempts to rescue the man using a helicopter had "not been possible due to the precarious position" the man was in and the "potential for back-draft to worsen the situation".

Roads around the prominent listed local landmark, which was built in 1836, were closed during the rescue operation.

Volunteers from the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team, Lancashire Fire and Rescue and the coastguard helicopter were also at the scene.

An investigation will be launched into how and why the man reached the top of the chimney, police said.