Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
mystery man
In pictures: Police arrest man seen 'wandering around' on top of British parliament building
Was it a protest? No-one seems to know.
A 22-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested after spending most of the night on top of the British parliament building in London.
The man was arrested at around 5am on suspicion of criminal damage and taken to a police station, the BBC reports.
The alarm was initially raised at around 9.15pm last night.
Fire crews and ambulances also attended the incident – although no-one seems to know what the young man was doing up there.
“At 9:15 pm officers were made aware of a man trespassing on the roof at the Palace of Westminster. London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service are in attendance,” a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said, as the incident developed.
The BBC said the man was on his own, moving around a lot and seemed calm, with his hands in his pockets, staring down at the swelling crowd of onlookers on the ground.
The 19th century Gothic Revival landmark, on the north bank of the River Thames, is home to the lower House of Commons and the upper House of Lords.
The roof has been the scene of stunts by campaigners in the past, including by protesters demonstrating against plans for a third runway at London Heathrow Airport in 2008, and by Greenpeace a year later.
Includes reporting from AFP.
have your say