Man detained after scaling roof at the National Gallery in London
A man has been detained under the Mental Health Act after causing a security threat at the National Gallery in London by cimbing onto the building’s roof on August 22nd, causing the historic gallery to close for almost 24 hours.
Police were called to the gallery on August 22nd, and the venue was evacuated shortly afterwards. On social media, Westminster Police told their followers: “Due to an ongoing incident, parts of Trafalgar Square near the National Gallery are closed. Please avoid the area.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson also said: “We were called at 2.41pm today (22 August) to reports of an incident in Trafalgar Square.”
They continued: “We have sent a number of resources including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). Our crews remain at the scene alongside other emergency services.”
Footage circulated of the man on social media, who was seen wearing a grey tracksuit above the Sainsbury Wing of the gallery. As a result, the building was closed until 12pm on August 23rd when the issue was resolved, allowing the National Gallery to be back open as usual.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Gallery confirmed: “The incident continued throughout the night and part of following morning, with Trafalgar Square and the Gallery remaining closed. At around 11.25am a man was detained under the mental health act and taken to hospital.”
“The Gallery opened to visitors at around 12pm, and Summer on the Square will open this afternoon. An investigation is now underway into how the man accessed the National Gallery roof,” they added.
The performance event Summer on the Square was temporarily suspended following the incident but is now back underway.
