Man climbs London eye

The London Eye, one of the city's tourist attractions, was shut down for more than six hours Tuesday after a man climbed to the top of the 135-metre ferris wheel.

The man, who police believe may have been a protester, started ascending the wheel around 6:30 a.m., and was talked down around six hours later.

The man's motivation was still unknown, and the Eye began selling tickets again once he had been grounded, said Joel Byron, a spokesman for the attraction.

The man was later arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance, said a spokesman for Metropolitan Police, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

About 18 million people have visited the Eye since its 2000 launch, and it was named the most iconic object of modern England in a January 2006 poll.