Man arrested after climbing Palace of Westminster

A man has been arrested after scaling one of the towers at the Palace of Westminster in central London.

Emergency services were called to the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, at 07:24 GMT on Saturday and spent hours managing the incident.

It led to the closure of Westminster Bridge, one of the exits at Westminster Underground Station and Bridge Street.

Tours of the Parliamentary Estate were also cancelled in response.

Westminster Police said the man, who was brought down in a cherry picker after midnight, had been arrested once he reached the ground.

“This has been a protracted incident due to the specifics of where the man was located and the need to ensure the safety of our officers, the individual and the wider public,” they added.

“We worked with other agencies including the London Fire Brigade and deployed specialist officers to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life.

“We have been in close liaison with the Parliamentary Estate throughout and all roads have been reopened.”