Man denies causing nuisance by climbing Big Ben

A pro-Palestine protester caused "serious disruption" by climbing the Elizabeth Tower and sitting on the London landmark for more than 15 hours, a court has heard.

Daniel Day is accused of scaling the clock tower - often known as Big Ben - in Westminster at about 07:20 GMT on 8 March last year, and not coming down until after midnight.

The 30-year-old, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, denies intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance by climbing the landmark.

Prosecutor David Matthew told Southwark Crown Court that Day's actions triggered an emergency services response which caused "serious disruption", including the closure of Westminster Bridge.

Matthew said Day "succeeded in blocking up what is a major part of the central London road network".

Opening the trial, the prosecutor told jurors that Day stopped shops in the area "carrying out their business", delayed tours of Westminster, disrupted bus routes and forced police officers to be "dragged from different areas of London".

The prosecutor said: "Much of this was entirely visible to Daniel Day."

Matthew said the defendant refused to come down and "decided to launch verbal attacks on the police".

The prosecutor said Day climbed over railings by the Houses of Parliament and then "climbed well and got a good way up" on the north side of the tower before waving a Palestine flag.

Day then spent around an hour trying to climb round the corner to the west side of the tower which faces Parliament Square, the court heard.

Matthew said Day "then climbed up further and found a ledge on a corner of the clock tower, Big Ben, he could sit on" and stayed there for the next 15 hours.

Day's actions put police in a "difficult position", the prosecutor told the court.

"Any fall from the height that he was at could have killed him and indeed anyone who was trying to get him off the tower," he said.

"Effectively they had no choice but to wait for him to agree to come down."

The court heard police blocked off Bridge Street, before shutting down Westminster Bridge, closing traffic and pedestrian access off the Embankment, and closing parts of Parliament Square at times.

Day agreed to come down just after midnight - 12 hours after a cherry picker provided by the fire service had arrived at the scene - the court heard.

He was arrested by police once on the ground.

The trial continues.

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