Copycat Humber Bridge climbers face private prosecution

Two young men face a private prosecution after posting an online video of themselves trying to climb to the top of the Humber Bridge.
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The pair – branded “mindless idiots” – travelled to the bridge last week, breaching security, before scaling one of the bridge’s giant cables, hundreds of feet above traffic, wearing Go Pro action cameras but no safety gear.

They turned back a short 
distance from the top after security cameras spotted them.

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They were spoken to by police, later boasting to viewers, who have seen the video online more than 458,000 times: “They can’t prosecute us – they asked us to wipe the footage.”

Dave Roberts, coxswain of the inshore lifeboat Humber Rescue, said the pair were “mindless idiots”, adding: “One does it and they are all at it like lemmings. They want to see the consequences (of someone falling).”

A spokesman for the Humber Bridge criticised the copycat attempt, which followed one by the four-strong Night Scape group from London in May.

He said: “We will be pursuing a private prosecution against the individuals involved for breach of our bye-laws, which prohibit people from climbing the Humber Bridge in this manner.”

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The men chose the only access point which had yet to have extra security installed following the incident in May, he said. The work has now been completed.

The spokesman said it would be impossible to stop everybody: “Experienced climbers, who have no regard for their own safety and that of others, and who are determined to reach the top, will try to bypass whatever security is in place.”

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