Man charged after climbing Big Ben clock tower

A man has been charged after climbing up the tower of Big Ben, the Metropolitan Police said.

Daniel Day, 29, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, has been charged with intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Police were called to reports of a man climbing up Elizabeth Tower at 7.24am on Saturday.

The man scaled the tower at the Palace of Westminster holding a Palestinian flag.

Perched barefoot on a ledge, the man remained there for more than 16 hours before he was eventually lifted to the ground in a cherry picker just after midnight.

Parliamentary tours were cancelled in the wake of the incident and roads were closed in the area.