Lone Occupy protester arrested after two day standoff with police

A lone Occupy Democracy protester who climbed up the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square has been arrested - after a two day standoff with police.

The man climbed up yesterday afternoon and was seen holding up a placard, and at one point put a policeman's hat on his head - but later gave it back.

It's understood that officers were unable to take hold of him to bring him down from the statue in case he was injured.

The Metropolitan Police said the man had been arrested at 8pm for criminal damage, public order offences, theft and offences under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. He was brought down from the plinth after an intervention by specialist officers.