A man who climbed 200 feet up a crane by the Shard for over five hours yesterday was arrested.
The climber scaled the crane at around 1pm yesterday, and remained on the structure for over five hours, sparking road closures and a large emergency services response.
The Met Police said the man came safely down from the crane at 6.45pm. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and taken into custody.
Officers this morning could not give the News further updates, and were unable to say why the man scaled the crane.
Police were called at around 1pm to St Thomas Street, SE1. Officers attended and found that a male had climbed a crane at the location. The man came down at 6.45pm and has been detained by officers. (We will update with any further details when possible.)
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 2, 2019
The incident sparked widespread concern for the man’s welfare by witnesses in the area, and police received initial reports of the man threatening to harm himself.
Other unconfirmed reports speculated that the man may have been protesting as he appeared to be wearing a t-shirt with a slogan on it.
“I was working in the building I saw the man he had something written about Egypt on his top, a type of protest I think,” a witness told the News.
This has not been confirmed by the authorities, and the man’s motives for the crane climb remain unclear.
“Large crowds surrounding London Bridge/The Shard as emergency services shutting the area down,” said another witness on social media shortly after 1pm.
“Police response just outside London Bridge station right now – a man has climbed up onto some scaffolding near the Shard. Hope it gets sorted safely,” added a second.
Some station entrances and exits at London Bridge were closed as the emergency services carried out their response and a cordon was put in place surrounding the crane.
The main entrance to the Shard’s viewing attraction on Joiner Street was also closed as police and firefighters dealt with the scene.
It remained fully operational and unaffected by the change of entry point.