IT’S not something Dave Bartholomew’s mum is altogether happy with, but it’s certainly gaining the 19-year-old a reputation.

The Tesco worker took up Parkour - a training discipline which focuses on movement developed from military obstacle course training carried in urban locations - about eight years ago but he’s taking it a bit more seriously these days.

And that means, among other projects, climbing Colchester Town Hall.

Dave scaled the historic building with apparent ease in December and took in the view from the well-known 162 ft Victorian bell tower.

He said: “People say about that one but honestly it’s probably my least impressive feat of all the stuff I’ve done.

“The thing is, it wasn’t that hard but I suppose if you slip up, you’re probably going to die.

“But as far as the technical side of things go, it’s not that hard.”

His hike, though, is not roundly welcomed by the building’s owners, Colchester Council.

The former Philip Morant and Colchester Institute student is also known for his appearances across the town, including at Vineyard Gate steps and areas of the Hythe and Greenstead.

But his choice of pastime hasn’t been without its difficulties.

He said: “I’ve had a few pretty bad falls.

“I smashed my head on a wall in Castle Park and broke my arm on, believe it or not, a crash mat.

“I’ve bashed my shins pretty badly and my ankles have taken a few hits too.”

Dave, from Lexden, has also had to apologise to his mum a few times.

He added: “She banned me from going to Sudbury once when I was doing it up there.

“Mr parents know what I’m doing but if I’m doing something a little bit dangerous I just don’t tell them until after it’s done - it’s probably better that way.

“To be fair, though, they are pretty supportive.”

The teenager, who is one of about ten Parkour participants in Colchester, also said despite what people might thing, it’s actually “really safe”.

He added: “Before you do something, from climbing the town hall to any of the others stuff I’ve done, you plan out roughly where you’re going to go so you have a good idea.”

A Colchester Council spokesman said Dave’s video had been viewed in the town hall.

He added: “Whilst we are extremely flattered that Dave Bartholomew has chosen our iconic town hall to feature in his video, clearly we do not endorse the use of our building in this way and would want to discourage anyone from considering copying the activity.

“Although it looks like great fun with a high degree of skill, it is not without its dangers for the participant or members of the public, which is why we do not support the use of our buildings in this way.”