Police negotiators were called in after shoppers watched a masked man walk to the edge of a multi-story car park.

A police cordon was erected around the base of the eight storey stairwell at the Guildbourne Centre in Worthing just before 11am yesterday while officers tried to talk the man down.

In a separate incident in Brighton, another police team were called after a man swung his legs over cliffs near the Marina.

Police said the man in Worthing had not made any specific threats but decided to clear the area after a number of items, including, books, pebbles, a sleeping bag and a copy of the Bible were tossed down.

There were also witness reports that some onlookers had urged the man, who was wearing dark clothing and had his face covered with a balaclava, to jump.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “We were called at about 11.45am because there was someone on the top storey on the north side. We were in contact with him.

“We sent in some specialist officers and persuaded him to descend.

“He came down at about 2.33pm and was taken to hospital. He is not thought to have been physically injured, but was taken to hospital under the Mental Health Act.

The road was reopened at about 2.45pm.