'Santa' removed from Glasgow statue by police

The man mounted the statue dressed as Santa Claus

A man dressed as Santa Claus has been removed from a statue in Glasgow city centre.

The man is thought to have mounted the Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square as part of a protest over children's rights.

He was cheered on by dozens of passing shoppers during the incident outside the city's Gallery of Modern Art.

Police Scotland said the man was spoken to and "given advice" by officers but was not arrested.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "Police were called at 12:25 regarding a man dressed as Santa Claus standing on the Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square.

"On arrival by police, the man was in the process of coming down from the statue. He was given advice and assistance by officers before being moved on."

The man was spoken to by police and given advice

The Duke of Wellington statue, by Italian artist Carlo Marochetti, has become iconic in the city for being permanently capped with a traffic cone.

Recent efforts by the city council to refurbish the statue and end the traffic cone tradition were abandoned after a public backlash.