'French Spiderman' tower stunt grinds London's financial hub to halt

French urban freeclimber Alain Robert brought parts of London's financial district to a standstill Thursday as he scaled the exterior of the 46-storey Heron Tower -- the area's tallest building.

The 56-year-old so-called "French Spiderman" took around an hour to climb the 230-metre high tower without any ropes or harnesses, while traffic came to a halt as bemused crowds formed below.

"This is what I love to do," Robert told a handful of reporters at a nearby hotel shortly before beginning his ascent.

"I have pretty much dedicated my whole life to climb mountains, to climb cliffs, and now to climb buildings -- but always 'free soloing', meaning I'm not using safety devices."
"But at this point of time I'm a little bit shaky."