Greenpeace women finish 15-hour climb up The Shard and then get arrested inside

 
Arrest: Greenpeace protesters who scaled the Shard were arrested last night and taken away by police. Inset, one of the women Pictures: Nigel Howard

The six activists who scaled The Shard were so exhausted by their 15-hour stunt they went straight to sleep in their cells before being questioned by police.

The female protesters, who were arrested after reaching the summit of the glass tower at 7.30pm yesterday, were left to rest before being formally interviewed today.

The Greenpeace campaigners climbed the 310 -metre structure in protest at Arctic drilling for oil and gas by Shell.

As they were due to be questioned by Met officers this morning for aggravated trespass, it was revealed they spent 11 weeks in “intensive training” for the event, including practising on a specially built replica of the tower.

Top of the tower: The women unfurl a Save the Arctic banner after their gruelling ascent

A three-storey wooden structure, which replicated one of the corners of western Europe’s tallest building, was built by a fellow activist with the exact measurements of the tower.

The group spent several hours a week practising climbing the structure in the countryside as well as building up their stamina by scaling Greenpeace’s warehouse in Islington.

Last weekend they hired a farmhouse where they underwent “intensive training sessions” including getting to grips with technology to enable them to livestream their stunt to the world.

After the 15-hour climb they were arrested for aggravated trespass and spent the night in cells at Walworth police station.

Peter Garrigan, the father of climber Ali Garrigan, 27, from Nottinghamshire, said: “I found out about it on Nottingham radio. I was in my office at home when I heard her name. I jumped up. I was obviously very shocked and I would even say petrified at first. I have seen that building a few times and it is a big building to climb.

“I saw her two weeks ago and she didn’t tell me anything about her plans to do this. They don’t tell anyone.”

The security systems designer said his daughter works for a housing association in Manchester and has been an activist since she was at the University of Manchester.

Scaling The Shard was not her first high-profile protest. In 2012 she and 20 others were arrested after climbing 100 metres to the top of a cooling tower at West Burton power station in protest at the Government’s “dash for gas”, stopping work at the EDF Energy site by camping for seven days.

Her father said: “She got in trouble, but as long as she never hurts anyone and she is acting out of morality, how can I ever be ashamed of her? In a way she has changed the world and helped shape other people’s views, which is a wonderful way to live life.”

The climbers also included Victoria Henry, 32, a Canadian who lives in London, Sabine Huyghe, 33, from Belgium, Sandra Lamborn, 29, from Stockholm and Liesbeth Deddens, 31, from Netherlands.

Ben Stewart, Greenpeace’s head of media, said the idea to climb the Shard had come after a visit to the viewing platform. He said: “We could see the Shell building from where we were standing and thought, this is the place to bring the Arctic home to Shell.

“After they got to the top, Victoria said she was looking forward to a nice meal and her bed. Then she said ‘oh but first I have to go to jail’.”

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