Greenpeace protesters climb Nelson’s Column and Oliver Cromwell’s statue to protest about London’s air quality
Eight people have been arrested after a total of 17 statues were targetted by the activists across the capital
GREENPEACE protesters have been clambering up statues and placing dust masks on their faces in protests against the air quality in London.
A security breach in Parliament saw two protesters scale a statue of Oliver Cromwell and fix a mask to its face.
The environmental organisation has targeted a series of statues in the Capital, including Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, Eros in Piccadilly Circus, and Winston Churchill in Parliament Square as part of a protest over air pollution.
Four people were arrested in connection with the incident within the grounds of the Houses of Parliament, the Metropolitan Police said.
Alison Garrigan, 29 and 30-year-old Luke Jones started climbing the 171ft high column in Trafalgar Square at around 4am this morning, decked out in hard hats and climbing gear.
Cops were called at 6.25am as a man and a woman as put a face mask over the statue of Cromwell.
The two protesters, wearing helmets bearing the Greenpeace logo, came down from the statue and were met by waiting police.
A Met Police spokesman said: "The two people on the Cromwell statue have come down, they have been arrested.
"Four people in total have been arrested in connection with what has been going on."
The breach in security at a time when the terror threat level is severe - the second highest - will come as an embarrassment to the authorities in Westminster.
Greenpeace said a total of 17 statues were being targeted across the capital, including Queen Victoria opposite Buckingham Palace, in order to put pressure on whoever wins May's mayoral election to take action.
Thierry Henry’s effigy outside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and Sherlock Holmes’ likeness on Baker Street were also targeted by the protest group who are calling on the government to develop a clean air action plan.
The environmental group posted images of the statutes along with the hashtag #CleanAirNow on their twitter feed.
Their website links to a petition on their website urging the Prime Minister to take steps including kick starting an “electrical vehicle revolution” and regulating the car industry to combat “toxic air”.
The petition, which has been signed over 20,000 times, reads: “To David Cameron.
"Air pollution is responsible for cutting short 40,000 lives in the UK every year.
"It’s time for this government to take robust and steadfast action to address this national health emergency.
"Please create a bold action plan that cleans our air, reduces pollution and saves lives."
Campaigner Areeba Hamid said: "Monitoring shows that, if these statutes were real people, many of them would often be breathing dangerous, illegal air.
"That's why we've given them face masks. Of course many millions of Londoners, including kids, are breathing that same air. Kitting everyone out with face masks is not the solution; instead we need to see real political action from the new mayor.
"We need a clean air zone covering a large part of the city. Whoever wins the election has to stop the talk and start the action."