Tower Bridge is closed for an hour as police seal off crossing to deal with person scaling its metal beams

Tower Bridge was closed by City of London Police for nearly an hour today as officers 'dealt with a person who climbed the structure.'

Photographs showed a person holding onto the landmark in the capital this morning, after police said they were called to the scene at about 11.30am.

The 126-year-old bridge reopened around 12.25pm, although it was unclear what happened to the person who scaled it. 

Photographs showed a person holding onto Tower Bridge in London at about 11.45am today

London bus routes 42, 78 and 343 were affected by the incident while drivers were diverted around the area, before the road reopened around an hour later. 

A City of London Police spokesman said at 11.33am: 'Tower Bridge is currently closed while we deal with a person who has climbed the structure.'

The force later added at 12.22pm: 'The bridge has now been reopened. Thank you for your patience.'

It comes after the bridge was shut for over 24 hours in August due to a 'mechanical fault' when it failed to close after allowing a ship to pass along the River Thames.

A photograph of an empty Tower Bridge in London on August 23

Engineers rushed to fix the bridge with drivers urged to avoid the area and queues of motorists and pedestrians were left waiting from both directions.

In June 2005, police closed the bridge for ten hours after a technical problem meant the arms could not be lowered after it was raised to let a tall boat pass through. 

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