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Palace Protester Would Have 'Taken A Bullet'

A fathers' rights activist who spent nearly eight hours on a roof at Buckingham Palace said taking a bullet "would have been worth the risk".

Martin Matthews, 48, and Bobby Smith, 33, managed to breach palace security by using a ladder to scale the roof of the Queen's Gallery on Sunday afternoon.

A spokesman for the activists said another campaigner had caused a distraction outside the palace as the pair gained access.

After reaching the top, they unveiled a banner which read: "I am Harry's dad."

Speaking from the roof, Mr Matthews said: "We parked a road away and came with a long ladder and walked past a number of armed policemen.

"They presumed we were workmen."

Mr Matthews said he was aware of the risks he was taking in light of heightened security concerns following the Paris terror attacks.

"Obviously there were a few concerns. People are going to be nervous at the moment," he said.

"But even if I had taken a bullet, it would have been worth the risk."

It is understood the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were not inside the palace during the incident.

The demonstration was part of a joint campaign by the groups New Fathers 4 Justice and Stop The War On Dads.

It ended at around 11pm and two men were arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site, police said.