Shard climber: Man spotted scaling London’s highest building ‘with no safety equipment’

Daredevil spoken to by officers inside building but not arrested

A man has been spotted climbing the Shard, London’s tallest building, apparently without any safety equipment.

Police were called at 5.15am after people reported seeing the figure scaling the 95-storey skyscraper in Southwark.

Footage posted on Twitter around half an hour later showed the man clinging on to the side of the building, which is 309m tall.

The Metropolitan Police said the climber was met by officers when he went inside the building.

He was not arrested.

“Police were called at 05.15hrs on Monday, 8 July following reports of a ‘free-climber’ on the Shard,” the force said in a statement.

“Emergency services attended and the man went inside the building where he was spoken to by officers. He was not arrested.”

The company that operates The Shard, Real Estate Management, said in a statement: “Fortunately no-one was hurt by this dangerous activity and we are in dialogue about this matter with the Metropolitan Police and the other relevant authorities.

“We will always push for a prosecution if it is clear that any law has been broken to maintain the ongoing safety of the area.”

Social media users joked about the climber’s appetite for adventure so early in the working week.

“People out that climbing the shard on a Monday morning, I can’t even get out of bed in time,” said one.

Another said: “What the f***. Hope he had a Go Pro with him. Looking forward to this video!”

In 2016 a Base jumper leapt from the Shard, landing near Borough Market before running away.