A protester dressed as Santa Claus has been spotted climbing up the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
Campaign group Fathers4Justice claimed that one of its ‘supporters’ was responsible for the stunt which took place just after 9.30am in central London on Sunday morning.
The protester, wearing Santa’s red and white costume with a hat on, could be seen scaling the huge Christmas tree and brandishing a poster with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s face on the front.
Perching on one of the tree’s branches, he held out the poster of Sir Keir which said: ‘Put the father back into Xmas.’
Police said the protester, named as 35-year-old father Chris Todd by Fathers4Justice, staged the dramatic protest on the Norwegian spruce at around 9.35am and remains there at the time of writing.
Fathers4Justice, an organisation that often uses stunts to fight for changes in legislation on fathers’ rights, said that Mr Todd scaled the tree after ‘being denied access to his daughter since August 2024 – despite there being a court order’.
They claimed that the 35-year-old, who also held up a photo of him and his daughter, will be staying on the tree until Christmas Day.
A spokesman for the Met Police told MailOnline: ‘At approximately 09:35hrs on Sunday, 15 December police were informed that a man had climbed up a Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, WC2.
A man dressed as Santa Claus has been pictured climbing up the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square
Police officers are seen surrounding the Christmas tree as the protester scales it on Sunday morning
The protester, dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, was spotted scaling the huge Christmas tree and holding up a poster with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s face on the front
‘He remains up the tree and officers are on scene monitoring the situation.’
LBC reports that the protester could be heard shouting ‘Keir Starmer has blood on his hands’.
In other footage, two police officers can be seen trying to get the protester to come down from the tree.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, arguably the capital’s most famous festive sight, has been delivered as an annual gift from Norway every year since 1947. It was lit up on December 5 this year.
The tree, which is surrounded by the Trafalgar Square Christmas markets, will stay up until January 6.
It has fencing around it, which the protester would have had to climb over to get into the tree.
This year’s tree has been ridiculed online, with some describing it as ‘scrawny’ and ‘half-dead’ compared to its Rockefeller rival in New York.
The Norwegian spruce from Grefsenkleiva, in Oslo’s Forest, is decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion with strings and lights. It is also approximately 20 metres high and is around 60 years old.
But this year, social media users have mocked its appearance, with one writing: ‘By the look of that tree in Trafalgar Square, you’d think London was trying to eliminate Christmas. That’s really bad.’
London’s famous Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has been branded ‘scrawny’ this year
Locals described the tree as ‘rather unwell looking’ and ‘so sad’ as they claimed they could see dead wood in photographs posted of it being put up
Another posted: ‘I didn’t want to be negative but our wonky corn on the cob is a tad underwhelming.’
Fathers4Justice protesters often carry out stunts dressed in costumes to make their demands.
The campaign group was founded by Matt O’Connor in 2001 after he was denied access to his two children, Daniel and Alexander, following his divorce.
In the past, protesters have scaled the Houses of Parliament and chained themselves to statues.
Some 20 years ago, four protesters dressed as Santa Claus closed the Second Severn Crossing with one of their stunts.
