A ROMANIAN man remains in a critical condition in hospital after allegedly attempting to escape police by hanging off a wall next to a dual-carriageway.

Police were called to Eltham station on Sunday (October 26) at 5.37pm after a member of the public reported a man acting suspiciously by a cash machine.

According to Greenwich police, officers chased the 24-year-old man who then climbed over railings and on to the ledge of a 40 metre high wall next to the A2.

Police say the man hung by his fingertips to the ledge and two officers held him through the railings to prevent him from falling.

The man was held by officers for about 20 minutes and at about 6pm police say he became unwell and stopped breathing.

Ambulance and fire services were called and the man was brought to the ground using a hydraulic platform.

He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, where he remains in a critical condition.

Greenwich police are investigating the incident.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been notified as a matter of course.