LONDON: A man waving a Palestinian flag climbed the Big Ben tower at London`s Palace of Westminster early on Saturday, with local media reporting he shouted `free Palestine`.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said they were alerted to the incident at Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) at 0724 GMT.

`Officers are at the scene working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.

They are being assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service,` the spokesperson said.

The man had ascended several metres (feet) and was perched barefoot on a ledge of the historic structure, whose official name is Elizabeth Tower, accordingto ajournalistatthe scene.Crowds looked on from beyond a police cordon, while emergency vehicles were deployed in the area and Westminster Bridge was closed.

Police said they were first alerted `to a man climbing up the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament` shortly after 0700 GMT.

At around 1000 GMT an emergency team used a fire truck lift and a megaphone to try to speak with the man.

But he was still there several hours later.

`Officers are at the scene working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion, London`s Metropolitan Police force said.

`They are being assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.`-AFP