POLICE negotiators have been praised for persuading a man not to throw himself off Wiltshire Fire Brigade's 75ft training tower at Hopton Industrial Estate in the early hours of Tuesday.

For nearly four hours, the police reasoned with Ross Grant, 29, before he finally agreed, shortly before 8.30am, to come down from the top of the five-storey building.

The drama began when Mr Grant from Trowbridge, attempted to enter the premises of Hayden's Bakeries, where his former partner was working.

When he was thrown out, he is alleged to have broken into the compound of Wiltshire Fire Brigade's training centre nearby and climbed the tower where firefighters train.

The brigade called in police and at 4.42am negotiators began to talk to Mr Grant.

One of the officers said afterwards that when they arrived at the scene the man was very agitated.

"We genuinely feared for his safety," he said.

"After three hours we finally persuaded him to come down. It was very cold but it was not that which made him see reason in the end."

Night workers coming off shift from local factories looked on in horror as officers tried to reason with Mr Grant. He was seen shouting at them and is thought to have damaged part of the tower.

Officers kept their distance throughout but Mr Grant was offered hot drinks and cigarettes.

Then, as dawn was breaking, Mr Grant was seen to leave the top of the tower and climb slowly down.

He was taken into custody on suspicion of causing criminal damage to the tower and assaulting Colin Bray, night manager at Hayden's Bakeries.

He was later released on police bail to return to Devizes police station tomorrow.

Mr Bray was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press, and no-one else at Hayden's was prepared to talk about the incident.

A local worker who witnessed some of the police operation, but did not want to be named, said: "I think they did a terrific job. I admire their patience. If it was me, I'd have left him to it. They seemed really worried he was going to jump."

Chief Inspector Ian Hobbs said: "We are pleased this incident was brought to a safe conclusion. Yet again it demonstrates the value of the training our negotiators receive."

Last year, PC Karl Broadhead was hailed a hero for dragging a man from the Kennet and Avon Canal in Devizes after he carried out his threat to throw himself from the Town Bridge in Northgate Street.

In September last year, police officers had to talk a man down from the roof of a building at the former Roundway Hospital. The man, a patient at Green Lane Hospital, had previously been dissuaded from throwing himself from a bridge in Pans Lane.

The Samaritans, the charity that offers counselling to people thinking of taking their own lives, said their workload increases in the period leading up to Christmas and the New Year.

A spokesman said: "People have high expectations from Christmas and these tend to highlight any emotional difficulties in their relationships."