PC Lowe says Square Mile buildings' owners are becoming increasingly worried about insurance liability, as well as the risk to the public beneath due to the damage one small item dropped from a height could do. PC Sam Lowe has a special task preventing and escalating urban exploring in the London Square Mile (Image: City of London Police) He says that while explorers had been trying to get into London's restricted spaces for years, the drawcard of social media fame has made the problem worse in the City.Īnd despite people around the world finding entertainment in the spectacle, PC Lowe says it causes huge disruption.Įntire streets in busy London have had to be cordoned off because of people spotted on building-tops and bridges, using up police time, stopping traffic, and risking injury. "It's saddening, because once we could share the new places we had found with other like-minded people, but now we feel we have keep things a bit more private to avoid feeding locations to those who are making things too public," he adds.īut what's the real impact on police and other authorities? "Those in the core community want to get into a building, and then back out again, without anyone ever knowing we were there."Īdded to that, the instantaneous ability to share footage of a secret previous spot online meant copycats would begin hitting it and drawing authorities' attention immediately. "To any true urban explorer, getting caught is considered a fail," he adds. "A select few have discovered that getting caught adds a lot of drama and excitement to a video, and now get caught, on purpose, on a regular basis." The skyscraper you can see for miles across London before it's even finished.He accuses some social media UrbEx stars of "glamorising" the activity with showy videos, and deliberately attracting police attention for hits. "The result is always the same - the location gets looted, trashed and ultimately destroyed due to the unwanted attention this brings," he said. Mr Kay said the social media and mainstream media fascination with striking photos, and footage of breathtakingly dangerous feats from some explorers has brought the activity to a wider audience.īut he claims by bringing widespread attention to the previously secretive adventuring is at risk of ruining it. Extreme sports stars are a growing niche in the community. (Image: Andy Kay/Behind Closed Doors) So just how popular is 'UrbEx'?Īn Instagram search reveals nearly 6 million posts including the "UrbEx" hashtag, with incredible photographic talent on display and breathtaking footage, in awe-inspiring locations from skyscrapers to abandoned mansions.Īmong them are daredevils showcasing adrenaline-rushing feats, with brand sponsorships, paid advertising posts, and merchandising. Mr Kay described urban exploring historically as an "underground hobby" - it was "an activity for the few, unheard of by the many".Īndy Kay explains that he never tells how he accesses the buildings to ensure thieves can't exploit the information. That's what some of those who take part will tell you.Īndy Kay, who runs urban exploring website Behind Closed Doors, has described a split between "old-school" adventurers, and those driven by exhibitionism, fame and money. There's also a turf-war unfolding on London's rooftops Watch the terrifying moment daredevil climbs huge crane over Wembley Stadium.The banning of two such "UrbEx" explorers from the financial district, which governs a nice looking patch of towering buildings and bridges, was highlighted in a report to City of London Corporation councillors by local police just last week.īut the question of how to handle daredevils with social media followings in the hundreds of thousands is not only frustrating authorities. That time the "explorer" got himself a community protection order warning him not to climb on the balustrade of any bridge, PC Lowe says. ![]() ![]() Backflipping off Tower Bridge and into the River Thames is not advisable (Image: Talia Shadwell)
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