A ROOF-TOP drama unfolded in York when police surrounded a building because burglars were suspected to be inside.

Police were called to The Croft, a large building in Heworth Green, at about 9.50pm last night after reports of voices inside.

Two men were arrested, one of them on the building's roof by an officer who had been hoisted up there with the help of firefighters.

A second man was arrested in the attic.

The alarm was raised by a key holder to the building.

Police said he went to The Croft to discover what was going on after an alarm activated.

He heard noises coming from upstairs.

Officers were called and eight police vans attended the scene, including a dog unit.

The animal was put inside to help officers close off the exits to the large four-storey building - believed to be currently uninhabited.

Two fire engines were also at the scene to help police. An aerial ladder platform was extended some 80ft into the sky where it shone a spotlight on to the roof.

A crowd of people watched the dramatic incidents for about an hour, as a man was arrested on the roof and police continued to search there.

Other police officers were seen inside the building, searching the rooms by torchlight.

At about 11.45pm, a second man was arrested and led away from the scene by police.

One group of onlookers who watched the operation were students from York St John University, who were on their way home from a night out in town.

Abi Moverley, 18, said: "We saw the police cars and the fire engine come up without its sirens on, and we saw eight cars, so we knew something was going on.

"We saw a couple of people hanging out of the window talking to the police who went up there.

"Police got into the building. They appeared to be searching the house room by room.

"The next thing we saw was people on the roof."

Police said both men who were arrested were from the York area. They were helping officers with their inquiries.