The Shard's viewing platform closed as Greenpeace protesters near top of skyscraper Greenpeace protesters have climbed close to the top of London's Shard building to protest Shell's Arctic drilling plans. Six women climbed onto the 72-storey, 310-metre building, the tallest building in western Europe, early in the morning. By mid-afternoon, Greenpeace said they had only 80 metres left to climb. The viewing platform of the Shard has been closed to visitors as the activists near the top of the skyscraper. A Shard spokesman said that in the interests of public and protester safety, the building's emergency response team had advised that The View, the platform on floors 68, 69 and 72 which gives a view of London from 244 metres up, should be closed with immediate effect: We apologise to guests for the inconvenience caused and The View will be pleased to honour their tickets either later on today or on a different date. The group began their ascent by climbing on to the roof of London Bridge station, which is next door. Greenpeace said the six climbers are Ali Garrigan, Sabine Huyghe, Sandra Lamborn, Lisbeth Deddens, Victoria Henry and Wiola Smul, who are from the the UK, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Holland and Belgium. The campaigning group said the climbers would stay on the building as long as it was safe to do so, and that they are prepared to be arrested. It said the women had now climbed higher than the pyramids and the clock tower that houses Big Ben. The skyscraper was chosen because it stands in the middle of Shell's three headquarters and because it was modelled on a shard of ice. The Shard, designed by Renzo Piano, was largely funded by a consortium of Qatari investors, whose money comes from oil. The edge of the building has struts that can be used like a ladder. Police and ambulance crews are at the scene. Henry, 32, a Canadian who lives in London said: "We'll try to hang a huge art installation 310m up. We may not succeed, but we're going to do everything we can to pull it off. Millions of people have called on Shell to get out of the Arctic but they're still trying to drill there anyway. If we reach the top we'll be able to see all three of Shell's London offices below us, meaning they'll be able to see us. Maybe then they'll stop ignoring the movement ranged against them. A Shard spokesman said: "Our primary focus is on the safety of the protesters and the workers and visitors to the building. Shell said: "We respect the right of individuals and organisations to engage in a free and frank exchange of views about our operations. We only ask that they do so with their safety and the safety of others in mind. Lamborn, 29, from Sweden said: "You can't drill safely in the Arctic, the conditions there mean a spill would be devastating. And of course the only reason they can drill there at all is because climate change is melting the ice cap, meaning the rigs are moving into areas that used to be frozen. That's why I'm climbing that skyscraper, because Shell want to drill for the fuels that caused the melting in the first place. We're drawing a line in the ice and saying to the oil companies, you come no further. Livestream: Greenpeace protesters scale the Shard