Chelmsford Community Health Council is questioning procedures after a nine-year-old boy patient with an attention-seeking disorder clambered on to the roof of the town's St John's Hospital.

The incident happened on bank holiday Monday afternoon and occupied Essex Police officers and fire crews from Chelmsford, Great Baddow and Ingatestone.

Mid-Essex Hospitals confirmed the incident, but would not discuss it further because of patient confidentiality.

It declined to say what the nine-year-old was being treated for at the hospital, or confirm that he was a patient on Sunshine Ward, where the incident happened.

Norma O'Hara of the CHC watchdog, said: "We shall be asking the hospital for a report on this, what the security arrangements were on Monday and how they see they could be improved so that this could not happen again."

An Essex Police spokeswoman said that a constable restrained the child on the roof until the fire service arrived to complete the rescue.

"The child was not suicidal but, we understand, he suffers from an attention-seeking disorder," she said.

"This seems to have been an attention-seeking escapade involving both ourselves and the fire service, and now press interest."

Sub-officer Keith Baxter, of Great Baddow fire station said:"It is standard practice to send three appliances including the aerial ladder platform to a hospital call.

"A police officer had hold of the boy and our team of four effected the rescue down the ladder. He was then placed back in the care of nursing staff."

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