Man arrested after scaling Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus

Nick Charity26 October 2018
WEST END FINAL

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A man was arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour after he climbed to the top of the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus.

Shocked bystanders feared for the man's life as they watched him scale the statue in central London.

A group of Londoners received praised as they leapt to his rescue, climbing the 10-metre tall fountain to bring him down to safety.

Police confirmed a 19-year-old man was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct and remains in custody.

Passers-by watched in horror as a man scaled the statue at Piccadilly Circus - and some rushed to help him down.
Twitter/MasterNath

Videos emerged on social media as the climber scaled the statue, mostly disregarded by passers-by at first. But as he reached the top onlookers realised the situation was serious.

Witness Nathan Agyekum told the Standard: "At the start it was just another crazy night in London, but as he started to wobble at the top, the mood of the crowd changed.

"He tried standing up at the top several times. When the statue wobbled, he nearly lost his footing and people started gasping."

Security guards tried to shout him down, Mr Agyekum added, and two men from the crowd, one of whom is believed to be a Deliveroo rider, scaled the statue to get him down.

The witness added: "He could have died."

The crowd cheered as two rescuers returned him to the ground before handing him over to police.

Another witness said: "He was shaking it and trying to lift his foot onto the top of the wing. It looked like it was going to break at one point. People were yelling at him to get down, clearly distressed and some were calling the police."

The Met confirmed officers were called at around 10pm to the scene over concerns for the man's safety.

"Officers attended and the man, aged 19, subsequently returned to the ground safely," a spokeswoman said. "He was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drunk and disorderly behaviour. He remains in custody."

No injuries were reported, the force said. Paramedics were called to the scene last night, but were diverted en route.

Deliveroo responded to praise their rider for springing into action.

The company said: "We’d like to thank the rider who intervened last night to ensure the individual who scaled the statue did not hurt themselves or others.

"Deliveroo riders are a constant presence in our communities and we are proud that so many go that extra mile when people need a helping hand."

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