Prankster apologises for fake art heist

 A Youtube prankster who staged a fake robbery at the National Portrait Gallery has apologised for the stunt, which he admitted had gone too far.

Daniel Jarvis and three accomplices stormed into the gallery in 2015 dressed as robbers and carrying fake paintings. The stunt, which was being filmed for a Youtube channel, caused panic among members of the public visiting the gallery.

The resulting video, which featured alarms going off and visitors fleeing, has been viewed almost one million times. Jarvis and the others were jailed for a total of 72 weeks after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening behaviour and causing fear of unlawful violence.

Now the 27-year-old has apologised for the stunt, admitting that it got out of hand. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 live, he said: “I’m not proud. It wasn’t meant to be that extreme. I can’t change the past. I don’t like hurting people or making people upset. I do these videos to make people laugh and make them happy.”