People shouted 'jump' before suicidal man fell to his death

A suicidal man died when he fell from a building after people shouted ‘get on with it’ and ‘jump’ while police tried to coax him back from the edge.

Some people even filmed the victim, aged in his 40s, as he fell to the floor on Saturday afternoon and one person was heard asking ‘how far can you bounce?’

Police were called to the scene in Telford, West Midlands, and have since criticised those who shouted to the man.

Inspector Ben Smith said: ‘It is pretty appalling because it is someone who is clearly in need of support and assistance. That behaviour is something we would condemn.

‘Clearly what that individual needed was time and space and a professional to help them out.

‘The individual would have been in need of care and support and appropriate intervention from medical professionals, so anything like that to encourage someone to jump should be unequivocally condemned.’

Kelly-Anne Taylor, 35, from Telford, said: ‘People were recording it with their phones and yelling at him to jump.

‘I can’t stop thinking about it. I was up town when it was happening and how much I wish I could have tried to help him.’