A Mid Sussex man is causing chaos in London after he scaled a 120ft crane dressed as his daughter's favourite superhero to highlight the plight of "forgotten" fathers.

David Chick, from Burgess Hill, has spent four nights on the structure in St Katherine's Way, by Tower Bridge, dressed as Spider-Man to protest against not being able to see his three-year-old daughter, Lauryn.

He is determined to stay for a week, despite the cold weather, and has brought fireworks with him to set off tomorrow.

The Metropolitan Police closed Tower Bridge in both directions on Friday morning because of the protest, causing traffic mayhem.

Yesterday, the cordon was extended to East Smithfield because high winds threatened to rock the crane.

Work at the building site in St Katherine's Dock has ground to a halt and traffic is being diverted away from the area.

It is the second time Mr Chick, 36, has climbed a crane at the site.

In June, he spent 45 hours on top of a 200ft crane, surviving on just water and biscuits.

He came down after talking to a Scotland Yard negotiator and was not charged.

This time, however, officers are waiting to arrest him for aggravated trespass and public nuisance.

Mr Chick claims he has been denied access to his daughter for the past eight months despite a court order allowing him to see her.

A police spokeswoman said: "He is causing massive and expensive inconvenience to Londoners and will be arrested when he comes down."

The stunt is the latest in a series of protests by the campaign group Fathers 4 Justice, which included 200 members dressed as Father Christmases storming the Lord Chancellor's Department.

Ron Davis from Findon, a fellow Fathers 4 Justice campaigner, said: "Each day 100 kids will lose contact with a parent - that's 18,000 children forcibly separated from a parent in the next six months."