Reckless pranksters climb to top of iconic Canary Wharf skyscraper One Canada Square

Patrick Grafton-Green22 February 2017

This is the astonishing moment reckless thrill-seekers climbed all the way to the top of Canary Wharf’s One Canada Square – the second tallest building in London.

In a 10-and-a-half minute clip, posted on YouTube, two young men jump over the security barriers in the iconic building – setting off an alarm – before getting the lift and stairs to the highest floor.

They climb onto the roof and scale the outside, filming themselves hanging off the edge of the building and even touching the tip of the famous pyramid at the summit.

At the start of the video, the cameraman describes the challenge as “almost impossible”, adding: “We are going to try to infiltrate the building called One Canada Square”.

The urban climbers make their way up 50 floors and are shocked to find the doors to the roof are unlocked.

The cameraman, filming the extraordinary views, says: “Guys I can’t believe we are on here it is crazy.

“Should we touch the top? I need to touch the top of the building. I have done it. I have touched the top of Canary Wharf.

“My heart is pounding. We can literally see the whole of London, just everything.”

'Crazy': The cameraman touches the tip of the pyramid on One Canada Square
Night Scape

The video was uploaded to YouTube on Monday by user Night Scape.

One Canada Square was the tallest building in London until it was surpassed by The Shard in 2010.

A spokeswoman for Canary Wharf Group, which owns One Canada Square, said: “We are actively investigating unauthorised entry into One Canada Square, on the Canary Wharf Estate.

'Almost impossible': The pair evaded security before scaling the summit of the building
Night Scape

"Security is taken extremely seriously at Canary Wharf. We invest heavily in our security and review the processes on a regular basis.

"Current arrangements have been tightened, while our security procedures are being reviewed and an internal investigation conducted. We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police on this matter.”

The main climber is believed to be Harry Gallagher, who appeared on ITV documentary Secrets of Growing Up in 2016.

The shows explain that the then 17-year-old had been a gifted gymnast since he was seven but wanted to “make his own mark”.

He says: “I just love risk and I love pushing myself. It’s all about pushing your comfort zone, taking that risk and just progressing with your life."

The narrator explains that Harry had become an “urban explorer” and now climbs high-rise buildings around London without safety equipment – filming the adventures himself.

“You only live once and it’s a short life so why not risk it?” he says on the show. “You think about the reward rather than the risk.”

He shares videos of his daring escapades through a YouTube channel called Night Scape. Several have been viewed millions of times, including a trip to West Ham’s Olympic Stadium.

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