Rate Of Crane Climbing 'Climbing'

A second crane-climbing incident has taken place in Belfast, and another in Dublin.

Police were forced to use a rescue team to climb 150 feet up a crane at College Green to bring down a 37-year-old man.

The man had made his way up the construction site gantry just before 8pm and specialist officers were used to coax the man from the crane before placing him under arrest.

Castle Street in the city centre had to be closed as the rescue operation got under way. The street has since reopened.

A construction worker in Dublin also climbed to the top of a crane in Dublin on Tuesday morning, in protest at what he says is his employer's failure to comply with legal obligations.

Paul Hansard, who is the chairman of SIPTU's Construction Branch in Dublin, said he climbed the crane as the scaffolding sub-contractor for whom he was working went out of business last month. He said he was told he would be employed by a new contractor but has questioned certain aspects of how he is being paid.

Members of Dublin Fire Brigade have since escorted the man down.

In January, three men and a youth climbed a crane in Clarence Street West causing £10,000 worth of damage.

A police officer said she saw four males on top of the crane, two came down after 45 minutes, the third shortly afterwards whilst the juvenile remained up the crane for two-and-a-half hours.

See: Crane Climb Accused In Court

(DW/JM)