A man dressed as Santa Claus was bundled into a police van after scaling a statue in Glasgow, Scotland, Wednesday.
The imposter was apprehended after he mounted the Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square.
The monument of the two-time British prime minister is an iconic landmark, appearing on postcards of Glasgow. However, it has also long been adorned with traffic cones by pranksters.
Removal of the cones apparently costs £10,000 a year, and in 2013, Glasgow City Council considered raising the plinth to stop the practise. It subsequently withdrew the idea, however, after a social media campaign saw 94,000 people keen to keep the cones.
Santa's presence was a step too far for local police, who confirmed to The Evening Times that they arrested a man in connection with the incident, saying, "Don't worry, he's not the real Santa."
Onlookers tweeted the events as they unfolded:
#freeglasgowsanta @policescotland pic.twitter.com/jKlSCejAyi— David Wyllie (@journodave) December 17, 2014
Sorry kids, Santa's been arrested in Glasgow, Scotland. #FreeSanta :http://t.co/IVUjKwFYqs pic.twitter.com/h1qXpCu4DZ"— YourComicMuse (@YourComicMuse) December 17, 2014
'Where am I going now?' pic.twitter.com/4ucQakKKNX— Mike Wade (@mikewadejourno) December 17, 2014
Santa's walk of shame pic.twitter.com/B0oyNOaIr9— Mike Wade (@mikewadejourno) December 17, 2014
Crowd jeering polis: 'Free Santa!' pic.twitter.com/SHjZfo6jqi— Mike Wade (@mikewadejourno) December 17, 2014