A NAKED man was nabbed by police after he climbed a tree

near Dawlish Warren, played a mouth organ and refused to come

down.

The 44-year-old was arrested under the Mental Health Act at

about 7am yesterday.

A police spokesman said the man was seen wandering around

Dawlish Warren naked from the waist down at 9.40pm on

Tuesday.

Police found him walking in the road towards Cockwood.

The man ran off and into a driveway in Easton before

scrambling onto a stable roof and up a tree.

He was sitting high up in the branches and was

unresponsive.

Police closed the road for the man’s safety and a fire

engine from Dawlish and the aerial platform from Exeter were

called in.

A police officer and fire officer were sent up to try to

coax the man down at about 4am, but he refused to budge.

The police spokesman said after several hours the officers

decided enough was enough and brought him down by force.

He was taken to Torquay Police Station.

The spokesman added: “He will be examined by a mental health

professional to see whether he needs to be sectioned.”

Tina Swift, 46, watched the drama unfold from her bedroom

window.

She said: “We were out for a meal with friends and came back

home in a taxi at about 11.30pm. I let the dogs out and I was

getting ready for bed when I heard a car fly into our driveway

and saw the security lights go on.

“I looked out of the window and I saw police officers

running after a naked man.

“My husband, son and I all gave chase in our pyjamas and saw

him get himself onto the stable roof and onto the barn.”

Mrs Swift’s son Steve, 20, chased the man on to the roof and

spotted him lying down. But when he called for help, the man

shot off and climbed up the tree.

“He was up there for seven hours completely starkers. It was

a very, very long night.

“He was obviously mentally ill and absolutely

disorientated.

“All he had with him was his mouth organ and he would play

that every now and again.

“I thought I was dreaming. It’s certainly something

different to have a naked man in your tree at night.”