WATCH: Teenager in custody as Asda climbing incident stuns shoppers
A teenager is in custody after a shoplifting suspect was filmed climbing onto the ceiling above shoppers at a busy Black Country Asda.
Several videos filmed at Asda's Walsall superstore show a man attempting to walk on the lights and fixtures above the self-checkout area on Friday afternoon.
One of the films, taken by Milan Grundmann, was viewed more than 200,000 times within six hours of being posted on Facebook while others have been widely circulated on Twitter and Snapchat.
The man is believed to have climbed out of the supermarket's security room by breaking the ceiling plasterboard before forcing a hole in the wall through to the main supermarket area in a bid to escape.
WATCH the video here:
Footage courtesy of Milan Grundmann
An 18-year-old man was arrested at the George Street shop shortly afterwards and remained in custody this morning.
In Mr Grundmann's video, ceiling lights can be seen swinging as the hat-wearing man walks precariously on top of them before he pauses, crouches down and looks at the stunned shoppers and staff below.
The video then cuts to a shot of the man sat with his legs dangling down from the ceiling next to a hole in the wall big enough for a human to fit through.
The man then hangs by his arms as security guards gather below before pulling himself back up until eventually falling down as more staff approach with a blue ladder.
As soon as he lands on the floor he is dragged into a separate room by Asda employees as customers shout and applaud in the background.
The video soon attracted thousands of comments and shares on Facebook, with many users heavily critical of the man and others joking about the event "only happening in Walsall".
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "We were called to reports that security staff had detained a suspected shoplifter at Asda on George Street in Walsall just before 3.45pm yesterday.
"Before officers arrived, the suspect climbed a pillar and made his way on to lights in the ceiling of the store.
"An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and criminal damage and remains in custody today."
An Asda spokesman said: "We are assisting the police with their inquiries and would like to apologies to our customers for any inconvenience.”
