An Australian author "desperate" to land a publishing deal was arrested yesterday after he flew his paraglider on to the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Armed police were waiting to swoop on Mr Brett De La Mare, who was pursued by a police helicopter as he flew low over central London.
Mr De La Mare (36), was taken to a central London police station and faces possible criminal charges for breaching air safety laws. He circled the palace before landing in the forecourt where the changing of the guard ceremony takes place.
Mr De La Mare's flatmate, Ms Monica Kelly, a 22-yearold Australian public relations executive, said he had been flying the motorised paraglider in a bid to get publicity for his unpublished book Canine Dawn.
Mr De La Mare has failed to find a publisher for what he describes as a Tarantino-style "sex, money and adventure" novel set in the Australian outback. He has been involved in similar stunts in the past and claims on his website brettdelamare.com to have recently flew around New York's World Trade Centre and Empire State building.