Drinkers arrested after climbing to roof of cathedral ruins

 Two men had to be rescued from the roof of Coventry’s medieval cathedral after they scaled part of its ruins while on a drunken night out.

The pair, aged 25 and 36, were brought down to safety by firefighters before being arrested on suspicion of trespass. Pictures showed the men gripping on to concrete pillars at the top of the ruins. West Midlands Police thanked other emergency services who helped return the men “back to earth” after their “late-night drunken climbing spree” on Sunday.

A spokesman for St Michael’s Cathedral, which is listed as a Grade I structure, said it “takes security very seriously” and will be reviewing procedures after the incident.

The 14th-century Gothic cathedral remains a shell after its bombing during the Second World War. It has the third tallest cathedral spire in England at 295ft and is next to the modern cathedral, built in 1962.

Emergency services were called at 10.50pm after reports that two people had become stuck after climbing the ruins. They were brought down using a hydraulic platform.