Image copyright PA Image caption The hammer made three holes in the top layer of protective glass 
 
 A hammer-wielding man has been arrested after an attempted smash and grab of a Magna Carta from its display at Salisbury Cathedral. 
 
 Alarms went off when the would-be thief tried to break through the glass box which protects the charter on Thursday. 
 
 The suspect was held on suspicion of attempted theft of the document - claimed to be the best preserved of four original Magna Cartas. 
 
 It was not damaged and nobody was injured, police said. 
 
 The man was wrestled to the ground by staff when he attempted to flee after the attempted raid at 16:45 BST, the Dean of Salisbury said. 
 
 The Very Reverend Nick Papadopoulos said: "There were people around so the cry went up, it was pretty thick glass so it hadn't yielded easily despite having a hammer hit it. 
 
 "It was a great shock but everyone responded magnificently, both our staff and volunteers and members of the public. 
 
 "They raised a cry and he did not get away." 
 
 The drama unfolded just before Evensong near to closing time at the visitor centre. 
 
 Dean Papadopoulos added: "He had been carrying a hammer so our guys were very courageous. 
 
 "They were able to restrain him and they held him for 12 minutes." 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption The Dean of Salisbury Cathedral described his staff as "courageous" after they restrained the man 
 
 A silent alarm was activated which alerted staff to the disturbance, he added. 
 
 A 45-year-old man is being held on suspicion of attempted theft, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon. 
 
 He has been taken to Melksham police station where he is being questioned. 
 
 Magna Carta is a charter of rights agreed by King John in 1215. It is considered one of Britain's most influential legal manuscripts. 
 
 Several versions were sent around the country "as evidence of the King's decision", according to Salisbury Cathedral's website. 
 
 Only four original copies survive today, and the cathedral is home to what is claimed to be "the most beautiful". 
 
 The charter was put on display at the cathedral three years ago as part of an exhibition funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. 
 
 The charter has been removed for safe-keeping while the case is refurbished, Dean Papadopoulos said. 
 
 A facsimile copy of the charter will be displayed, and the visitor centre will re-open as soon as possible. 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption The document is displayed at Chapter House at the cathedral 
 
 What is Magna Carta? 
 
 Magna Carta outlined basic rights with the principle that no one was above the law, including the king. 
 
 It charted the right to a fair trial, and limits on taxation without representation. 
 
 It inspired a number of other documents, including the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
 
 Only three clauses are still valid - the one guaranteeing the liberties of the English Church; the clause confirming the privileges of the city of London and other towns; and the clause that states that no free man shall be imprisoned without the lawful judgement of his equals. 
 
 The British Library has two copies of the 1215 Magna Carta. 
 
 Source: The British Library 
 
 The historical document is encased in two glass layers, Dean Papadopoulos added. 
 
 "The layer that is closest to the document itself was completely untouched by the individual concerned, but his hammer did do some damager to the initial glass screen." 
 
 Two copies of the Magna Carta that date from 1215 are held by the British Library and go on regular display there. 
 
 The Salisbury copy went on display in 2015 in the 13th Century Chapter House at the cathedral. ||||| SALISBURY Cathedral was evacuated yesterday afternoon after someone "tried to smash the case of the historic Magna Carta", in what police believe was an attempted theft of the document. 
 
 A 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted theft, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage, and has been taken to Melksham custody for questioning, where he remains. 
 
 The Journal understands this was a result of a visitor to the cathedral "smashing the case of the Magna Carter with a hammer and trying to destroy it". 
 
 Crowds could be seen in the Close after someone manually started the fire alarm to alert others to the incident. 
 
 The Magna Carta has not been damaged and nobody was injured in the incident, but the document has now been removed for safe-keeping. 
 
 The damaged Magna Carta case 
 
 One witness, Jenny from Salisbury, was walking through the Close at the time of the incident and says she saw a citizen's arrest taking place. 
 
 She told the Journal: "We were walking past the cathedral as the alarms started, and everyone was starting to come out. 
 
 "As we got to the stonemason's gateway we heard some shouting and could see a few people coming out of the gates so we stopped. 
 
 "It looked like some men ‘play-fighting’ but as they got through the gates I saw a hammer drop to the floor and one of the men kicked it into the road whilst another man held on to him. 
 
 "They then held onto him with hands behind his back whilst they picked up the hammer - lots of people around started to come over 
 
 "The men really did a good job." 
 
 A spokesman for Salisbury Cathedral said: "We can confirm that at the end of the afternoon yesterday, a man attempted to break into the case which houses Magna Carta in the Cathedral’s Chapter House. 
 
 "He was arrested by police shortly afterwards and taken into custody. 
 
 "We are very relieved that no one was hurt during the incident and that the Magna Carta itself is undamaged. 
 
 "We are very grateful to all who dealt with the situation so swiftly and effectively. 
 
 "We are very sorry that, for the time being, our copy of Magna Carta will not be available to visitors and will have it back on display as soon as we can." 
 
 Fire crews were called at 4.53pm, but dispatched by just after 5pm as there was no fire lit. 
 
 Magna Carta 1215 is the best surviving copy of one of Britain's most influential legal documents, and is on permanent display at Salisbury Cathedral. 
 
 It is regarded by historians as the foundation of constitutional liberty in the English-speaking world. 
 
 We are aware there were a number of witnesses to the incident who may not have spoken to police. If this was you, please get in touch via 101 and quote crime reference number 541800101438.
– A narrow escape for a precious historical document: Police in England say a 45-year-old man is in custody after allegedly using a hammer to smash holes in a protective glass case housing the best preserved of the four surviving original Magna Cartas. The Thursday incident at Salisbury Cathedral was part of a suspected effort to steal the prized charter of rights signed by King John in 1215, report the BBC and Salisbury Journal. The document kept at the cathedral was undamaged and has been removed from display temporarily. The unnamed suspect is being held on suspicion of attempted theft, criminal damage, and possession of an offensive weapon. (The four Magna Cartas were united for the first time in 2015.)