A man has died after collapsing on the roof of a north-east department store.
Police, fire crews and ambulances were called to Celebrations of Turriff yesterday after a 55-year-old collapsed and died shortly afterwards.
The usual quiet of the rural town was broken at about 3pm when emergency services were first notified of a man apparently on the roof of the Main Street shop.
The road was blocked off while the emergency services attended the
scene with the fire service despatching a height vehicle from Aberdeen to help officers scale the building.
Police were subsequently seen climbing inside a nearby window and apparently speaking to the occupant inside.
A force spokesman said an air ambulance team was assisting, but could not give any more information.
A police spokesman added last night: “A 55-year-old male collapsed on the roof of Celebrations of Turriff. He passed away shortly after.
“We are not treating it as suspicious, and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.”
The last of the police and fire crews left the scene after 6pm.
A fire service spokesman said: “We received the call at 2.56pm. There was one appliance from Turriff and a height vehicle from Aberdeen.”
Celebrations owner Robert Stephen could not be reached for comment last night.
But two staff members, who didn’t want to be named, described seeing officers taking a white sheet on to the roof.
One said: “It all started around 3pm. We weren’t told what was happening, just that we had to stay inside.
“It’s not the sort of thing that happens here. It is a bit worrying.”
A worker at Milano’s pizza shop on Main Street, across the road from Celebrations, said she saw “lots and lots” of police cars through the day.
She added: “It is terrible to hear of something like this happening.”
Turriff and district councillor Iain Taylor offered his condolences to the victim.
He said: “While I don’t know the full circumstances of what has happened here, I am sure that it is a very stressful and traumatic time for everyone involved.
“It is not the usual course of events and my thoughts are of course with any family or friends at this time.”
