A free-climber who was jailed for scaling the Shard has admitted he could die after conquering his second tower block in Stratford.

George King-Thompson climbed the 23-storey Unex Tower in Great Eastern Road without ropes on Thursday, August 12, nine days after ticking the neighbouring Stratosphere Tower off his list.

The former personal trainer from Oxford said he aims to raise awareness about climate change through his climbs, and chose to scale what he calls the "Stratford duo" because they overlook the railway station, which was deluged by flash floods at the end of July.

Newham Recorder: The 23-storey Unex Tower (right) by the Stratosphere Tower in Stratford, east London, which have now both been climbed by Mr King-Thompson.The 23-storey Unex Tower (right) by the Stratosphere Tower in Stratford, east London, which have now both been climbed by Mr King-Thompson. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

After climbing the 305ft (93m) Unex in about 10 minutes just before 6am, Mr King-Thompson said he felt "calmness" after each "near-death experience".

The climber, who stopped for a vape two storeys from the top, said: "You go through an initial stage of shock - and for me that element of shock is calmness.

"It's never a throwaway comment to say that I could die. I'm not a pessimist, nor am I an optimist - I'm a realist.

"I could train all I like, but there's always that little percentage of a chance that I could die.

"So that's in the back of your mind, but, once you're on the building, once you're doing your thing, there's no room for any thoughts like that. It's just you in the moment, getting what you've come here to do."

Mr Thompson-King, who lives in Bermondsey, said he has chased "fear" since he was 10, when he used to push himself to the limit climbing walls without ropes and running marathons.

The 21-year-old was sentenced to six months in Pentonville Prison for scaling the Shard in July 2019. He was released this year after serving half his sentence.

He said: "A lot of people say how horrific prison is and it is, but my whole thing is I like stepping into the fray, I like danger, so I was, in a weird sense, quite at home there.

"I just like looking over my shoulder and not know what's coming next."

He added his mother is "extremely supportive in a healthy way".

Following his Stratosphere climb on August 3, the Metropolitan Police said they used a helicopter to search the area after receiving a call, but could not locate Mr Thompson-King.

The climber said he planned his ascent of Unex Tower so that if he fell, no members of the public would be endangered and there was no police presence at the scene.