British daredevil climbs Eiffel Tower, gets arrested

PARIS, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A daredevil British climber shared a video showing his point of view as he climbed Paris' Eiffel Tower from the ground to the top platform.

James Kingston, a British freeclimber and parkour expert, posted a video to YouTube showing his climb from the bottom of the tower to the top along with a friend.

Kingston said the climbers avoided CCTV cameras and security guards until they reached the top platform, where "my curiosity got the better of me."

"I unlocked the door, slowly crept in and was immediately hit with the sound of a walkie talkie going absolutely mental in French. It was clear we'd been spotted so we legged it down a few stories & found a couple of holes inside the framework that we had no choice but to hide in. Hours went by with security going up & down with torches & they even turned on all of the towers lights during their search."

Kingston said he and his friend spent several more hours on the tower until they were spotted by security about 9 a.m.

"We were handcuffed & taken to the local police station where we were held & questioned for around 6 hours before being released without charges (I also had to promise them I wouldn't climb it again for 3 years)," Kingston wrote. "I can now officially tick the Eiffel Tower off my list."

The incident wasn't Kingston's first brush with the law -- he was arrested and held for about 10 hours in November of last year for climbing Dubai's 101-story Princess Tower. Kingston was released without charges.