Santa surprises Glasgow shoppers… by scaling the Duke of Wellington statue

A man in a Santa suit staged a bizarre protest on top of an iconic statue today – and claims it has become a Christmas tradition.

Decked out in a red suit and a white beard, the protester used a cherry picker to scale the statue of the Duke of Wellington. He sat behind the Duke on his high horse and strapped himself to the landmark, as dozens of onlookers cheered in Glasgow’s Royal Exchange Square.

Ricky McConnell, 53, has now pulled off the bizarre stunt for the third year in a row.

He was previously slapped with a £40 spot fine and had to spend several hours in a police cell.