Santa dad in Palace protest

A Fathers 4 Justice campaigner dressed as Father Christmas scaled the central gate at Buckingham Palace today and chained himself to a pillar.

The activist, named by the campaign group as David Pyke, shouted slogans as a crowd gathered below.

Police closed all palace gates and external doors during the alert before using a crane to bring him down.

"Christmas appears to have come early in the form of Father Christmas who has climbed to the top of a column," said a Palace spokesman.

"He hasn't got into the courtyard - he is on the perimeter and is well surrounded."

The stunt follows an incident earlier this year when a Fathers 4 Justice demonstrator dressed as Batman, breached the perimeter and climbed next to the central Palace balcony.

Witnesses said Pyke was about 20ft up on the pillar on the right side of the main gate.

The area around had been cordoned off and about 20 police officers were at the scene, as bystanders gathered on the Queen Victoria Memorial to view the spectacle.

A Fathers 4 Justice spokesman said 49-year-old protester Mr Pyke climbed up the main gates in front of Buckingham Palace at about 2.15pm.

Mr Pyke's protest marks the start of the group's Christmas campaign, Put the Fathers Back into Christmas, said group spokesman Matt O'Connor.

It is not the first time Pyke has attempted to scale the Palace. Last September he dressed as superhero character Robin with another protester in a Batman outfit.

Mr O'Connor said: "He was actually Robin of Batman and Robin last time he was at the Palace but he did not manage to get up because police marksmen threatened to shoot him."

On Mr Pyke's latest protest, this time dressed as Father Christmas, he added: "It kicks off our Christmas campaign saying put the father back into Christmas."