A man has been detained under the Mental Health Act after he was reportedly seen attacking people in Croydon while naked.

Police were called at 10.56am on Thursday, December 28. to reports of a naked man running around in Clarence Road.

According to police, he then entered the building of someone he knew, became aggressive and refused to leave.

He was then reported to have possibly gone onto the roof of a building.

Officers and a police helicopter attended but did not locate the man. The man then became a high risk missing person and enquiries continued to locate him.

At 2pm later that day, police were to reports of a naked man in Scarbrook Road.

Subsequent calls were received about a naked man assaulting people in High Street and Katharine Street. He was also reported to have assaulted a man in High Street before stealing his jacket.

A lady who works at TFNC, one of the shops the man was seen approaching people in front of, said it was a "very scary moment."

"We had to lock the door because it was a bit scary," the woman, who wished to remain nameless, said.

"When he saw us locking the door he started to behave very badly.

"We just tried to ignore him as best we could."

Another shop the naked man was attacking people in front of was Stitch and Thimble.

Workers there also had to take safety precautions, with one person saying: "He was in front of my shop asking people to open the door for him."

"I had to lock it straight away."

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and a 42-year-old man was detained under the Mental Health Act in Katharine Street and was taken to a south London hospital.

While at the hospital, the man reportedly bit a police officer on the hand.

The man was then taken to a mental health facility for assessment.

No members of the public required medical assistance.