Police update after 3 men seen illegally jumping off Blackpool Tower and parachuting onto Promenade below
“It created an extremely dangerous situation that could have had catastrophic consequences.”
Lancashire Police have issued a statement after three men managed to unlock a window at the top of Blackpool Tower, jump out, and parachute onto the Promenade below.
In a video posted to the social media account ‘Let’s Make Stupid Decisions’ on Sunday, three gravity-defying daredevils are seen opening one of the windows at the top of the Tower, which stands at 518ft or 158m high, before climbing up and jumping out. One of the men in question does a backflip out the window.
Dramatic footage from body-worn cameras shows their terrifying descent as their deployed their parachutes, with two of the three landing on the famous Comedy Carpet below and the other landing on the iconic ex-Pricebusters building, known for its distinctive clock. The daredevils are then seen running off.
After Blackpool Tourism Ltd, the council-owned company which runs the Tower, confirmed that they had reported the incident to authorities, a Lancashire Police spokesman said: "We received a report on 19th July and enquiries into it are ongoing. Anyone with information or footage to assist is asked to call 101 quoting log 0569 of 19th July."
Similarly, Blackpool Tourism said they have also opened an investigation into the matter amid fears that others may be able to open windows in a similar fashion.
“On Sunday morning, three individuals posed as paying visitors to the top of The Blackpool Tower before parachuting onto a nearby building and the Promenade,” Blackpool Tourism said.
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“While the footage may give the impression that they were able to open a window with ease, this was not the case. All windows at the top of the Tower are securely locked. However, the individuals brought a specialist tool which enabled them to discreetly unlock one of the windows. This followed failed attempts at several other windows.
“While the individuals appear to have escaped without injury, parachuting over a busy promenade and active tramlines created an extremely dangerous situation that could have had catastrophic consequences for both those involved and members of the public.
“The incident has been reported to the police and we are conducting a full internal investigation.”
The social media group behind the video have been approached for comment.