The man had ascended several metres and was perched barefoot on a ledge of the historic structure, whose official name is Elizabeth Tower.
Crowds looked on from beyond a police cordon, while emergency vehicles were deployed in the area and Westminster Bridge was closed.
Police said they were first alerted “to a man climbing up the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament” shortly after 0700 GMT.
At around 1000 GMT, an emergency team used a fire truck lift and a megaphone to try to speak with the man.
But he was still there several hours later.
“Officers are at the scene working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion,” said a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police force.
“They are being assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.” (AFP)
The man had ascended several metres and was perched barefoot on a ledge of the historic structure, whose official name is Elizabeth Tower.
Crowds looked on from beyond a police cordon, while emergency vehicles were deployed in the area and Westminster Bridge was closed.
Police said they were first alerted “to a man climbing up the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament” shortly after 0700 GMT.
At around 1000 GMT, an emergency team used a fire truck lift and a megaphone to try to speak with the man.
But he was still there several hours later.
“Officers are at the scene working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion,” said a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police force.
“They are being assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.” (AFP)
