A man who was found dangling from the top of a 270ft chimney in Carlisle has died, Cumbria Police has said.

Police were first called at 2.22am on Monday to reports of an individual trapped at the top of Dixon’s Chimney, in Cumbria. 

A police spokesman said the man, who was in his 50s and from Carlisle, was pronounced dead at just after 4.45pm.

An earlier rescue attempt by Coastguard helicopter had to be aborted due to the precarious position of the man.

Fire chiefs then made a public appeal for a cherry picker or aerial work platform. 

The platform arrived and a specialist working-at-height team from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service completed the operation.

The giant cherry picker arrived at the scene earlier on Monday and the operation to take the man down finished shortly before 5pm.

A statement from Cumbria Police said: “Police can confirm that a man who was trapped at height on Dixon’s Chimney in Carlisle and later recovered during a multi-agency operation has been confirmed as deceased.

“Paramedics pronounced the man, in his 50s and from Carlisle, deceased at the scene at around 4.45pm.”

A statement added: “The thoughts of all the emergency services and partners are with the family and friends of the man. Specialist welfare police officers are supporting his family at this difficult time.

“An investigation will commence into the circumstances into how and why the man was on the chimney and the constabulary will be informing Her Majesty’s Coroner.”

Steeplejacks, mountain rescue and firefighters were also on hand to assist the operation.

Roads around the structure, a prominent local landmark which was built in 1836, were closed during the operation.

The chimney is around 270ft tall, is a Grade II listed building and when built was the largest chimney in the country, according to a citation on the Historic England website.

Local reports said shouts and wailing could be heard coming from the chimney in the early hours of this morning before police arrived on the scene.