The teenager who climbed to the top of the Shard in London this morning has revealed he did it because it "was his dream".
Daredevil George King, 19, risked his life to climb to the top of the UK's tallest building at sunrise without ropes or a harness
Heart-stopping footage of the ascent shows him pulling himself up along the outside corner of the 95-storey sky scraper.
In August last year, he became the first person to freeclimb the world's tallest climbing wall, Bjoeks Climb Center, in Groningen, Netherlands - which is 37m high.
Then in October, he became the first person to free climb the UK's tallest climbing wall without any safety gear.
But he said today's ascent was the hardest he's done and the stunt is what his climbing career has been leading up so far.
Speaking to Mirror Online Mr Thompson, of Oxford, said: "When I was 13 I first saw the Shard and thought I have got to climb this. That planted the seed for me.
"I have done a lot of preparing for this, I have just kept on working at it.
"I am speechless - It is unreal."
Mr King, who is also personal trainer, said his ascent of the building took 45 minutes.
The daredevil said the most testing part of the climb as when he reached the building's pinnacle.
"There are generators near the top of the building and there was a lot of dirt and grease on them, and I had to push on to the next level to get past them."
The climber said he has worked hard on his climbing skills and doesn't believe his behavior is reckless.
Posting on his Instagram afterwards he said: "In the past I’ve been called a daredevil, an adrenaline junkie, a reckless teenager and much more. I’ve always found that these names come from those who are ignorant or misunderstood about what I really do and why.
"It takes years of training and careful preparation to be where I am today, and this practice is achievable only because I see myself as someone who has followed a respectable passion, albeit an unusual one.
"I believe that every single one of us has a gift. Your mission is to find that gift, make it your passion, and then make it your purpose.
Mr King, who posted a video of his feat on his Instagram page, said he was spoken to by police after reaching the top of the Shard..
A spokesman for the Met Police said: "Police were called at 05:15hrs on Monday, 8 July following reports of a ‘free-climber’ on the Shard," a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.
"Emergency services attended and the man went inside the building where he was spoken to by officers. He was not arrested."
This morning's ascent is not the first time someone has attempted to climb up the building.
A man known as 'The French Spiderman' went without ropes to scale the building.
The 56-year-old Frenchman - real name Alain Robert - went on to climb the 755ft (230m) tall Heron Tower last year.
