A MAN threatened to kill himself by jumping off St Peter’s Church in Brighton city centre.

The distressed man was seen having an argument with his girlfriend, before he climbed more than 100 feet up the scaffolding on the church in York Place around 3.35pm today.

As police officers tried to negotiate with him, he fell onto another part of the scaffolding injuring himself.

Shocked members of the public watched on as police placed a large cordon around the church, and the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance landed in The Level. 

Eyewitnesses told The Argus the man was seen arguing with his partner for a long period of time on the green outside the church, before he climbed up the scaffolding.

It is not yet known how he got onto the scaffolding, which is fenced off.

Resident Joe Hoadley, 29, who lives opposite the church, said: “I turned up just before 4.00, and I could hear someone shouting from the scaffolding. 

“The police then got on the scaffolding to find what level he was on. 

“He was shouting I’m fed up and I’ve fed up with my life, then all of a sudden within ten minutes there were police cars, fire engines and ambulances.

“Four police officers on the scaffolding, then he must have hurt himself before paramedics went up there.

“He seemed to have jumped from the level up and landed a level down. 

“It was horrible to see someone in that state.”

Tasha Vise, 23, who also lives opposite the church, said: “When I came out there were a load of police cars, ambulances and fire engines – there was a big response from the emergency services. 

“The police went up the scaffolding first, before the paramedics. They must have been up there for about 45 minutes. 

“It was concerning because someone’s life in danger – and to get a point in their life they felt they need to jump is horrible.”

The injured man was placed on a stretcher, before he was taken down by an aerial platform operated by the fire service.

He was then taken by ambulance to Royal Sussex County Hospital with abdomen and pelvic injuries for further treatment.

St Peter’s Church, known unofficially as Brighton’s cathedral, is currently undergoing restoration work. 

The scaffolding on the grade-II listed tower has been in place since December 2014, where workers are doing painstaking restoration work.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Emergency services were dealing with a man who has fallen from scaffolding on St Peter’s Church, York Place, Brighton. 

“The man climbed more than 100ft up the scaffolding on the church 

“He was shouting but as officers started to negotiate with him, it appeared he had fallen onto another part of the scaffolding injuring himself.”