Man attempts to grab Olympic torch in Gravesend Video

British police arrested a 17-year-old man yesterday after he tried to grab the Olympic torch on the day that it was due to make a dramatic arrival in London.


The incident happened as the torch was in Gravesend, a town on south bank of the River Thames east of London, said a spokeswoman for police in the county of Kent. “We have arrested a 17-year-old man following an incident as the Olympic torch passed through Gravesend,” the Kent Police spokeswoman said. “At around 9:55 am (0855 GMT) a man apparently attempted to take the Olympic torch from a torchbearer,” the spokeswoman said.
“The man, who is from Gravesend, was arrested within seconds and he is now in custody of Kent Police.” Security has been tight around the torch as it snaked its way on 8,000-mile relay around Britain, during which it also visited the Republic of Ireland. Later a Royal Marine commando was to abseil from a helicopter with the torch, which will spend the night in the Tower of London, where the sovereign’s ceremonial jewels are kept..