Roads closed as man with Palestinian flag climbs London’s Big Ben

Roads around the Palace of Westminster in London were closed on Saturday as emergency services tried to reach a man who climbed the Big Ben tower holding a Palestinian flag.

Photos show the barefoot man, who appeared to be staging a protest, standing on a ledge several metres (yards) up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.

Officials said tours of the Houses of Parliament were cancelled because of the incident.

Westminster Bridge and a nearby street were closed for much of Saturday and several emergency services vehicles were at the scene as crowds looked on from behind a police cordon.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were “working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion”, alongside firefighters and ambulance services.