Nelson's column Base jumper pays tribute to Greenpeace activists

Gary Connery, who scaled monument in 2003, says anti-pigeon spikes have now made the climb even harder

Gary Connery, a professional stuntman who performed a Base jump off Nelson's column in 2003 to raise awareness about China's occupation of Tibet, has praised the bravery of the latest activists to scale the monument.

Connery said he did not necessarily agree with the Greenpeace activists but admired the audacity of the stunt, which involved fixing a gas mask to Nelson's statue at the top of the 52-metre column in London to highlight concerns about air pollution.