A 35 year old Romanian was talked down from the top of Murcia’s cathedral last week after he had threatened to commit suicide by launching himself from the roof.

The man climbed up onto the roof at 9am on Tuesday from where he threatened to jump, causing great alarm and not an undue amount of interest. A National Police psychologist and the consul of Romania, José David Pérez, eventually convinced him to get down after they had spent a little over 2 hours talking him round.

Members of both the Local and the National Police, along with a translator who was requested by the immigrant, were quickly on the scene as they attempted to gauge the mental condition of the man.

Firefighters, members of the Civil Protection and an ambulance. were also made available nearby.

Initially there were dozens of onlookers on the scene but these were all moved on following the arrival of the police who then cordoned off the area and closed the lane to the plaza from all adjoining streets.

The man, who is said to suffer from a mental disorder, claimed that he was owed compensation for a traffic accident suffered in Castellón and that he was owed.  He said that he was a victim and that he refused to move until he was given the money and a sandwich.

He was eventually talked down by the negotiators after a little more than an hour and taken away in police and medical custody.