Sheriff hits out at daredevil antics on Forth Road Bridge

Two t h r i l l s e e ke r s who travelled from London to climb the Fo r t h Road Bridge have been hit with heavy fines.

Owen Kelly and Usamah Quraishi, self-styled ‘ urban explorers’, are well-known in the world of parkour and free-running.

However, their daredevil antics saw the pair branded “the most stupid and irresponsible individuals” to have appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court in recent times.

Kelly and Quraishi walked on a public footpath to the middle of the bridge then climbed over the barrier on to a central cable, walking up to the top of a tower, more than 500 feet above the water.

Traffic on the bridge was stopped, police were called and the pair used their free-running skills to evade the officers, clambering under the bridge.

Kelly, 19, of Selbourne Avenue, and Quraishi, 20, of Adare Walk, London, appeared in connection with the September 5 stunt.

They admitted climbing on to the structure, then up a bridge tower, causing fear and alarm for their safety, the safety of bridge users and police officers. They also committed a breach of the peace.

Depute fiscal Jill Currie said four people were initially spotted on CCTV by bridge staff walking along a footpath, which was closed to the public, at around 8pm.

Kelly and Quraishi jumped over railings on to a main cable and walked up to the top of a tower.

Bridge s taff put the traffic lights to red to stop vehicles and police were called.

Officers arrived at 8.20pm and the pair climbed down from the tower. They ran off and managed to evade officers by using cables under the bridge. They were found after being followed on CCTV cameras to Dalmeny rail station.

James Moncrieff, solicitor for Kelly, said his client was on holiday in Scotland at the time.

“He made this decision to climb up the bridge which was a particularly stupid thing to do,” he went on.

“He apologises for the inconvenience he’s caused through this youthful exuberance. He wanted to film himself climbing up on the bridge.”

Alexander Flett , for Quraishi, said he was a student of architecture and design and lives with his parents.

He added, “This was clearly a foolish thing to do. It was foolish escapade but a brief one. It only lasted a few minutes.”

Sheriff James Macdonald told the pair: “I can say that you two are the most stupid and irresponsible individuals to have darkened the doors of this court for some considerable time.”

He fined the pair £1,040 each.