Police closed a road for more than 17 hours as they tried to help someone "in crisis".

At one point during the day-long operation on Monday (July 17), police with riot shields were spotted at the junction of Kilburn High Road and Cavendish Road.

Officers were called at 4.40am to reports of a man causing a disturbance and throwing items from the balcony of a flat.

Furniture and other household items were scattered across the road, where they were left for some time.

The incident took hours to resolve and many passers-by were baffled that when they returned hours later police were still dealing with it.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Police in KilburnPolice in Kilburn (Image: Simon Hynes)

One person on Twitter said “you can’t make this up” as he shared an updated picture of the cordon at 10pm, just before the operation finished.

Another person, who asked not to be named but said she lived next to Kilburn High Road, said: “I do feel bad for the man and I hope he gets all the help he can get, but this was nearly the whole day. Should it take this long to deal with a mental health crisis?”

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson explained: “In incidents such as these, attending officers’ primary focus is to ensure the welfare and safety of all involved.

“Officers also need to take into account the geography they are faced with to enable a successful resolution is reached.

“These can be extremely challenging situations and we always appreciate the patience and support of residents while we work to assist someone in crisis.”

It is understood that a police car and other vehicles were slightly damaged by objects thrown from the balcony.

Brent & Kilburn Times: A police car was hit by items thrown from a Kilburn balcony A police car was hit by items thrown from a Kilburn balcony (Image: Simon Hynes)

At one point, a man seen wearing just his underwear and sunglasses was seen standing on the balcony, yelling at the public.

In the afternoon, it is understood further damage was made to the building, affecting neighbouring flats.

The Met said officers attempted to “engage" with the man as there were concerns for his safety.

The London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade also attended.

Despite many officers present – including those equipped with riot shields – it took until 10.05pm to resolve.

A man was detained by officers and arrested on suspicion of criminal damage before being taken to hospital for a mental health assessment.

It was only then that officers cleared the scene and ensured the road was clear.