A man scaled the front of the BBC’s Broadcasting House headquarters and used a hammer to damage a statue by Eric Gill, accompanied by another man shouting about the artist’s history of paedophilia.

The controversial ‘Prospero and Ariel’ artwork from Shakespeare’s play The Tempest was installed in 1933.

One of the Britain’s most prominent early 20th-century artists, sculptor Eric Gill, is said to have sexually abused his “daughters, sisters and dog,” as per a biography on the Tate museum website.

Metropolitan Police officers were called to the site in Portland Street at around 4.15pm on Wednesday cordoning off the entrance to the BBC headquarters while London Ambulance Service paramedics attended the scene.

“If this happened decades ago, I wouldn’t be here would I?” the man reportedly told negotiators.

Images also appear to show the man had written the words “noose all paedos” on the statue. 

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “The man came down with assistance from London Fire Brigade at around 20:45hrs,”

“He was checked by London Ambulance Service before being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and taken into custody,”

“The property owners are examining any damage to the statue and building,”

“Another man was earlier arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. He also remains in custody.”