A man who waved an imitation gun at police from the roof of a building during a stand-off has been jailed for three years.

Phillip Emery appeared on the roof of a building after police executed a drugs warrant in Fordham Road, Newmarket, on April 25 and had detained a suspect.

Emery refused to get down and removed a fascia and some roof tiles to retrieve a black handgun before pointing it in the direction of officers who took cover.

While officers were out of sight, Emery, 43, made off on foot. He was arrested on May 19 in Isleham but the weapon was never recovered.

Emery, of Fordham Road, Newmarket, pleaded guilty to to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order, a burglary and a theft.

The burglary was committed between February 1 and February 17 last year at property on Fordham Road in Newmarket.

The key of a Mitsubishi Outlander was stolen and used to take the vehicle.

Detective Constable Josh Coe said: “Police officers day in and day out have to put themselves forward into situations like this where others back away to help keep the public safe.

“They had no reason to doubt that Emery wasn’t holding a real firearm and it’s fortunate that no one was seriously hurt.”

Emery received a 30-month sentence for possessing the imitation firearm and six months imprisonment for the burglary to run consecutively.

He also received a two-month sentence for the burglary, to run concurrently alongside his jail term, and no separate penalty for the breach of restraining order.