A FATHER dressed as Spider-Man snared commuters in 25 miles of traffic jams across Central London yesterday after climbing to the top of a 170ft crane near Tower Bridge.

Barely two weeks after David Blaine had caused chronic tailbacks from his Perspex box by the Thames, motorists were faced with a week of chaos caused by police roadblocks around the crane, which hangs over key routes into the City.

The Metropolitan Police said the cost of the operation was “phenomenal” but the roadblocks were necessary to stop the protester, David Chick, falling on passers-by.

As Mr Chick, 36, vowed to stay up the red crane until Friday, police denied that they were to blame for tailbacks stretching ten miles east to the North Circular Road and for several miles on southern approaches to the City.

Officers said that it was too risky forcibly to remove the father of one, who scaled the crane in protest against the way the courts treat separated fathers.

Mr Chick, of Burgess Hill, West Sussex, climbed a crane on the same building site in June but was talked down after 24 hours by police negotiators, who promised that he would not be arrested.

Mr Chick’s supporters below claimed that police negotiators had reneged on earlier promises.

“I want everyone to know of the injustice to forgotten fathers. The legal system is an institutionalised social scandal,” Mr Chick said.

Winds up to 40mph buffeted the crane yesterday and caused it to swing across two roads as Mr Chick waved to supporters and strolled along its 110ft boom.

Using a walkie-talkie, he talked to friends from the Fathers 4 Justice campaign group. He is not believed to be depressed or a suicide risk and supporters said that he was in “bullish” spirits after climbing the crane with supplies of food, water and cigarettes early on Friday morning. One officer said that police were met with a barrage of abuse when they tried to talk to him on Sunday.

Chief Inspector Richard Woolford said that Mr Chick would be arrested and charged this time. He said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to businesses and Londoners. This is out of our hands. It is in the hands of the demonstrator. He knows exactly what he is doing. He knows what disruption he is causing and he will come down when he is ready.”

He added: “We technically could go up there and bring him down forcibly but the dangers of that are not worth it.”

The Metropolitan Police rope climbing team with negotiating training have scaled the crane every day since Saturday and attempted to persuade Mr Chick to end his protest.

Matt O’Connor, the founder of Fathers 4 Justice, said: “In the extra 20 minutes you spend in traffic, one child will lose contact with their father. At the end of today, a further 100 kids will lose contact with their fathers. Do you really think a man is going to climb a crane over Tower Bridge for the fun of it in wet, windy and near-freezing conditions for several days?”

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, said: “It is totally unacceptable that this man’s foolish protest is causing massive disruption to London and holding Londoners to ransom.

“He is bringing misery to thousands and costing businesses money. It cannot be allowed to continue.”

A Transport for London spokesman confirmed that motorists diverted into the congestion charge zone would not be charged.

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