FEARLESS photographers who scaled a 116ft tall tower were brought back down to earth - by fire fighters and police.

Safety conscious fire crews resorted to using an aerial ladder platform to bring George Edwards and Omar Jackson down from Colchester's iconic Jumbo tower.

The platform, normally used by the fire service to douse water onto flames from a height, was brought into action at dusk on Wednesday after alarmed members of the public spotted the plucky pair on the dilapidated tower and dialled 999.

However, George, 18, shrugged off the drama and has taken to social media to post the snaps captured on his Sony camera before the pair were thwarted.

He said: "We have done it before at night time, however, we decided to do it in the day because we wanted to get some really good photos of the sunset.

"It was incredible, the opportunities were amazing.

"A bunch of police cars turned up and a van and two fire engines.

"We were happy to climb down but they insisted they got the ladder up and they got us down.

"It drew quite a crowd."

George, of Abbey Fields, Colchester, said as with previous death-defying photo shoots - including the top of the red orbit tower in Stratford - the pair had scaled the tower unaided by any safety gear, precariously taking the £400 camera with them.

The Jumbo climb, he said, was "pretty difficult" but took them just ten minutes.

The Colchester Institute student added: "It was quite overwhelming, it was a bit crazy.

"We were confronted by a bunch of officers who were interested in what we were doing up there.

"They were really nice officers and were chatting to us for a bit and made sure we weren't known criminals.

"They said they would pass our details onto the land owner and said it was up to him to take any action."

"I told my mum afterwards - she said 'not again' but is used to it."

George and Omar, 21, who works at the town's Jump Street trampolining centre, have been scaling dizzy heights for photographic thrills for about a year.

George said: "Often we travel to London to climb the larger buildings. We do that as much as we can.

"First of all we scout it out, take a look around for security, find a step we can get on or jump over a fence and get on our way to the top."

"We don't tend to get any negative comments," he added.

George and fellow 'free climber' George Wicks, last year made headlines having ascended Colchester landmarks including Firstsite, Colchester Baptist Church, Debenhams, Waterstones, the Apple Store and even the Town Hall.

At the time George Wicks denied the pair were "stupid teenagers going around just jumping on things" and said what they did was a discipline involving "planning and training".

The Jumbo tower at Balkerne Gate can be scaled via 157 steps inside but only with access; George and Omar opting to take the riskier outdoors route.

A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: "We don’t have a statement around our views on the incident itself.

"On April 19 at 8pm two fire engines from Colchester, including one aerial ladder platform (APL), were called to Balkerne Gate, Colchester.

"Firefighters used the ALP to reach two young adults from the top of the water tower and brought them back down ground level by 8.30pm."