Tower crane climb stunt warning from police

Security has been tightened after three men climbed to the top of a tower crane and one of them hung one-handed nearly 315ft above Southampton.

James Kingston, 22, and two other men managed to bypass an anti-climb shield at Admiral's Quay where a 26-storey residential tower is being built.

They later uploaded a video showing him walking out along the crane's horizontal jib and hanging off it.

Police and the site owners have pledged to step up security.

Officers used a loudhailer to tell Mr Kingston and two other men, also 22, to climb down from the crane.

Ch Insp Craig Dibdin said: "Stunts like this can encourage others to do similar and they may not be so lucky."

He added: "The filmmaker clearly gets some sort of pleasure from such stunts, but he has given no thought to the implications of his actions on others should something go wrong."

"If everything is as it seems on this video then the filmmaker has put himself at considerable risk and he could have easily died."

Police patrols

Police said officers would be patrolling similar sites across the city to ensure staff had the appropriate security in place.

Warings, who own the site, said the tower crane had a shield around its mast to prevent anyone gaining access to the crane.

A spokesperson said: "An anti-climb device is generally very effective. However the individuals involved were able to bypass this and climb the crane.

"We have also worked with the crane supplier to improve the anti-climb protection to prevent further attempts."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa), said incidents of trespass on similar sites in the past had led to "several tragic accidents".

David Walker, from Rospa, said: "An appetite for adventure is fine - commendable even - but done in the right context.

"Businesses have to go to great lengths to ensure security, and the Health and Safety Executive and construction industry have put huge efforts into preventing trespass on building sites."