FREE-RUNNERS are calling for safe training facilities after videos emerged online of youngsters risking their lives jumping between roof-tops.

Darlington Police issued a warning after releasing the video, which shows a man performing a death-defying leap across houses in the town.

The shocking video shows the man filmed by spectators as he jumps from one rooftop across the width of an alley-way to another.

Described as alarming by police officers, the activity is believed to be linked to parkour – or free-running - a sport rapidly gaining in popularity across the North-East.

Developed from military training, it often sees practitioners traverse dangerous environments, many scaling rooftops, flipping over walls and clambering across obstacles in a bid to improve their skills.

After releasing the video, a spokesman for Darlington Police urged people across the town to stay safe.

He said: “This alarming footage was captured at the new estate being built at West Park in Darlington.

“We’re sure you can see how easily this might have ended in tragedy.

“Young people so often think they’re invincible and don’t think through the potential consequences of their actions.”

Darlington free-runner Callum Benson – who was not one of those captured in the video - also issued a warning, saying that those depicted were risking their lives in their pursuit of the sport.

Mr Benson, 18, called for a safer space for enthusiasts to hone their skills and said interest in the sport had increased ten-fold in recent years.

Despite parkour’s dramatic rise in popularity, practitioners from the area must currently travel to Newcastle to access safe training facilities.

Commenting on the video, Mr Benson said: “We would never recommend taking that kind of risk, it’s too dangerous and not worth it.

“They are putting themselves in danger and I don’t understand why, if they had fallen or something had gone wrong, that’s their life gone straight away.

“We recommend always working in a small group, with a spotter making sure nobody falls and that all surfaces are stable and strong.”

He added: “This can be a really good sport – it’s not about how dangerous you can make it.

“It’s all about a mindset, it’s a way of bettering yourself and is great for health.

“There are no facilities locally but there are more people trying to do this – we want them to be able to do it safely.”