"Spiderman" sparks copycat with NY skyscraper climb (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The man known as the French "Spiderman" climbed The New York Times building on Thursday to draw attention to global warming, and six hours later another climber made an apparent copycat ascent.

Alain Robert, 45, the first person to scale the 52-story skyscraper, told reporters ahead of the ascent on U.N. World Environment Day his aim was "to raise awareness of global warming since this is one of the main problems for our time."

His manager Julie Cohen said she knew nothing about the second climber. "I'm mortified, he's absolutely nothing to do with us, this is really upsetting," Cohen told Reuters.

"Alain is going to be really upset by this," she said, adding that while Robert's climbs were not without risk, he was a professional climber.

Using the ladder-like lattice work on the facade, Robert climbed without equipment besides chalk for his hands and climbing shoes. He was greeted at the top by police who arrested him.

The second climber also was immediately detained at the top by police. His ascent at the height of the evening rush hour drew crowds and was shown live on at least one TV station.

Several people in the crowd shouted "Jump" when he stopped part of the way up to rest but there was a loud cheer as he reached the top. Wearing red pants, black climbing shoes and a white T-shirt that read "Malaria No More," the man laughed as he was led handcuffed from the building.

"We definitely don't look at him as a modern day Spiderman," said James Coll, a member of the police emergency services unit. "We look at him as somebody who not only put responders lives at risk but members of the public as well."

Martin Edlund, communications director for Malaria No More, said the climber was in no way affiliated with the group that aims to prevent the 1 million annual deaths from malaria within 10 years.

"While Malaria No More appreciates his enthusiasm for raising awareness about malaria, we are in the business of saving lives, not risking them," Edlund told Reuters.

The New York Times moved into the building in midtown Manhattan a year ago. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, its antenna tops out at 1,142 feet (348 metres).

Catherine Mathis, spokeswoman for the New York Times, said the company was taking steps to prevent "future occurrences."

"Two climbers used our headquarters building to make personal statements. Their illegal and ill-considered actions jeopardized their safety and the safety of others," she said.

Robert, who says he suffers from vertigo, has climbed more than 80 skyscrapers and landmarks including Chicago's Sears Tower and Taipei 101 in Taiwan, the world's tallest building.

His climbs are often illegal and without permission, and always without rope for protection.

Last year he was jailed for five days in China after he scaled the 88-story Jin Mao Building in Shanghai. He was expelled and banned from China for five years.

(Reporting by Marcy Nicholson, Edith Honan, Robert Macmillan; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Vicki Allen)

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