THE man who is fighting for his life after ‘falling from the sixth floor’ of a Southampton building may have been trying to burgle it, police believe.

As reported, onlookers described the “mayhem” after the air ambulance, paramedics, an ambulance and other emergency staff raced to White Star Place at 12.45pm on Friday.

A man, approximately 30-years-old, sustained multiple life-threatening injuries and has been receiving treatment in the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton.

Hampshire Police has now told the Daily Echo: "We are investigating the possibility that the man who fell may have been making an attempt to burgle the flat."

The spokesman said enquiries are still ongoing to establish exactly what happened, but no arrests have been made yet.

One resident, who lives in the tower block, said the incident was “unbelievable” and “something you really do not expect on a street like this”.

He said: “There were so many people here. People from the flats came out to see what was happening. I’ve never seen so many people together crying.

"It was a shock to absolutely everyone on the road. We can’t believe what had happened.”

Hampshire Constabulary cordoned off the stairs to the flats for a few hours after the incident. Residents were forced to use different entrances to their usual ones.

Another resident, who lives in the tower block, said he got to the scene “five minutes after it happened and there were so many police cars and ambulances”.

He added said: “Loads of people were crying, really upset and there were children around."

Images captured by concerned residents showed the scene unfold, with paramedics attempting to save the man’s life while he lay on the floor before he was taken to a waiting ambulance.

One passerby, who did not want to be named, said: “We’ve heard from a few people that they just heard this massive thud and then really, really loud groans.

"It meant that he was still alive, just when he hit the ground. It was absolutely shocking.”

Another man, who lives in the flats, added: “It’s just such a surreal moment for all of us in the flats.

"There was so much blood on the floor after he came down. It’s a strange situation that we have all been placed in.”