An off-duty policeman leapt to his death from a public housing block in Hong Kong on Wednesday, less than 12 hours after he was arrested on suspicion of taking upskirt photos at a shopping centre.

Police were called to the Kai Tin Shopping Centre in Lam Tin at about 9pm on Tuesday after the 37-year-old off-duty officer was accused of taking photos under a woman’s skirt while on an escalator.

A police source said the man was arrested for loitering, then later released on bail pending further investigation. Detectives from the Kwun Tong criminal investigation unit were handling the case.

At about 8.30am on Wednesday, he jumped from Tak Shing House at Tak Tin Estate in the same district. He lived with his family in one of the flats in the building.

The source said the man was found lying unconscious outside the building and certified dead at the scene. Initial investigation found nothing suspicious.