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FRENCH SPIDERMAN

Who is Alain Robert? Why is he dubbed the ‘French Spiderman’ and why was he banned from climbing UK buildings?

Alain was arrested for climbing London's Heron Tower and banned from climbing any other building in the country

French grandfather Alain Robert was arrested for climbing one of London's tallest buildings.

Robert's ascent to the top of the Heron Tower in the City of London was met with much applause from the crowd below.

 Alain Robert, dubbed 'the French Spiderman' was arrested for climbing London's Heron Tower
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Alain Robert, dubbed 'the French Spiderman' was arrested for climbing London's Heron TowerCredit: AFP or licensors

But the police, having cordoned off the area for the full 45-minute climb, took Alain into custody after he came back down.

Alain immediately handed over his passport and supplied officers with the number of his solicitor.

Police said that the incident posed "a significant level of risk" to the people in and around Heron Tower.

But who is the daredevil thrill-seeker and what is the highest building he has climbed?

 Scaling Heron Tower in London on October 25 2018
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Scaling Heron Tower in London on October 25 2018Credit: PA:Press Association
 The 56-year-old grandfather says he does not get scared when he climbs
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The 56-year-old grandfather says he does not get scared when he climbsCredit: PA:Press Association/PA Images
 Alain started climbing as a boy on the cliffs in southwestern France
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Alain started climbing as a boy on the cliffs in southwestern FranceCredit: INSTAGRAM/ALAIN ROBERT

Who is Alain Roberts, the 'French Spiderman'?

Mr Robert is 5ft 5in and weighs about 7st 12lb (50kg), with a low fat ratio of bones to muscle which helps his extreme athleticism and skill.

He is 56 years old and was born on 7 August 1962 in Digoin, France.

Alain said his passion began in childhood when he spent his times climbing cliffs in the gorges of southwestern France.

What buildings has he climbed?

Robert has stated his biggest achievement was to climb the Burj Khalifa, saying: "829m (2719ft) is quite something. It's like really a gigantic mountain made by the human being."

His last London climb was Portland Tower in 2007 and he said he only thought of climbing the Heron Tower after seeing some pictures of it two days ago.

 Alain scaling the Torre Italia in Sao Paolo, Brazil
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Alain scaling the Torre Italia in Sao Paolo, BrazilCredit: Getty - Contributor
 Halfway up the Hang Seng Bank headquarters in Hong Kong on January 26, 2011
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Halfway up the Hang Seng Bank headquarters in Hong Kong on January 26, 2011Credit: AFP

Before that he had considered scaling the "Walkie-Talkie" tower in Fenchurch Street, or the "Cheesegrater" in Leadenhall Street.

Asked if he ever gets scared, he said that, mostly, he "shouldn't be surprised by the building", following his experiences around the world.

What did the police say about his arrest?

Commander Karen Baxter, from City Of London Police, said: "The incident has had a considerable impact on police, other emergency services and the local community.

"Our officers, the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service all attended this incident, taking them away from genuine emergencies.

"Road closures meant a significant disturbance to local transport and businesses and their staff located in the building were also considerably affected.

"While the incident has caused immense disruption to everyday business in the City of London it also posed a significant level of risk to the safety of people in and around Heron Tower at the time."