Drama in Woodford Green as helicopter circled while wanted man scaled scaffolding

A HELICOPTER seen hovering over Woodford Green on Saturday was searching for a wanted man who climbed onto a building, police said.

The police chopper was filmed by residents as it hovered over the area for about an hour, causing locals to question what happened from the morning of Saturday, June 20, 2026.

One woman posted on the local Nextdoor app: "Does anyone know what is going on in Woodford Green or nearby? We have had helicopters circling for the last hour."

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c67a83_40cc4704dcb14be8a229a561a8cee17f/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Another woman answered: "A man with mental health issues climbed on to the scaffolding on someone’s house and wouldn’t come down. All those resources will of cost quite a bit. He came down safely."

A Met Police spokesperson said: "On Saturday, 20 June at 9:29am, officers identified a man in his 30s wanted by another police force in the Woodford area.

"On attendance, the man made off on foot and climbed the scaffolding at a nearby residential property.

"After a period of time, he was safely detained and transported to hospital for an assessment."

A spokesperson for the National Police Air Service (NPAS) said: "On Saturday at 10:18am, a police helicopter crew from NPAS London attended the Woodford Green area of London to support the Metropolitan Police with an on-going incident.

"The total flight time was 1hr 31 minutes."

Main image and video: Nextdoor App.