How did ANOTHER daredevil dupe The Shard security? Freeclimber clambers 1,000ft to the top of Europe’s biggest skyscraper less than two years after thrill-seeker did the same
- Police called after climber was spotted climbing giant glass building at 5.15am
- Man seen scaling western Europe’s tallest building spotted towards 95th floor
- Officers have now managed to coax the ‘free-climber’ back inside skyscraper
- Shard’s Qatari owners have launched a review including on tightening security
- Do you know who the climber is or see the incident at the Shard today? email martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com
The billionaire Qatari owners of the Shard have today launched a review of security after a ‘freeclimber’ was able to scale the capital’s tallest building unhindered for the second time in two years.
Police officers rushed to the 1,017ft skyscraper overlooking London Bridge at 5.15am with witnesses claiming the daredevil managed to the top without using a harness or a rope.
Scotland Yard has said with the help of Shard staff that they managed to get him inside – but later confirmed he was not arrested and allowed to go free.
The 95-floor skyscraper, which looks like a shard of glass and is owned by the tiny but super-rich Gulf state of Qatar, is considered one of Britain’s top targets for terrorists and protests.
Bosses will now be reviewing whether they need to ‘tighten security’ because of the stunt, the second of its kind since 2017.
A spokesman for Real Estate Management, the Qatari-owned asset management company that operates The Shard, said: ‘The person was safely apprehended and detained by police. Some areas around the base of The Shard that were closed to the public.
‘Public safety and the security of the people who live, work and visit The Shard and the surrounding area is of paramount importance to us. Fortunately no-one was hurt by this dangerous activity and we will be assisting the police with their investigation.’
Previous climbers who have set their sights on the 1,017ft building include YouTuber CassOnline, who clambered from the public viewing platform to the apex in 2017.
In 2013, a group of Greenpeace activists also scaled the building to protest against oil drilling in the Arctic.
The previous year, The Shard secured a High Court injunction against Alain Robert, the climber nicknamed the French Spiderman, to stop him attempting to scale the building.
Police rushed to the 1,017ft 95-floor skyscraper overlooking London Bridge at 5.15am (pictured) with footage from the ground showing the climber near the top
The climber managed to get to the top of the 95-floor building after scaling the 1,017ft skyscraper unhindered and without any ropes
Footage taken from below western Europe’s tallest building shows the climber near the top as crowds gathered below and were heard gasping as he climbed without any ropes.
David Kevin Williams tweeted video from the ground and said: ‘The guy’s got to the top and is being spoken to by the police’.
Another witness who watched the drama unfold wrote: ‘One person climbing up the outside of the Shard in central London. Two police cars, two ambulances and a drone on the scene’.
The incident raises questions about how the man was able to dodge security and scale one of Britain’s most high-profile building unhindered.
A Met spokesman said ‘Police were called at 5.15am following reports of a ‘freeclimber’ on the Shard.
‘Emergency services attended and the man went inside the building where he was spoken to by officers. He was not arrested’.
The Shard is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions and took three years to build before being opened to the public in July 2012.
It is also home to several offices, restaurants, a shopping centre and a luxury hotel with views across most of London.
Police said that they have now managed to get him inside western Europe’s tallest building (pictured)
In 2013 Greenpeace protesters scaled the Shard and unfurled a number of banners (pictured) – but today’s climber appears to be a thrill-seeker