Capital student back to earth after his Olympic high jinks

Published Date: 09 August 2008 HIS daring protest brought him worldwide attention and helped highlight China's alleged human rights abuses in Tibet. But Iain Thom's dramatic ascent of a Beijing street lamp had its origins in the rather leafier surroundings of the Capital's Corstorphine Hill. The 24-year-old, who returned to Edinburgh yesterday after being deported by the Chinese authorities, r evealed that he trained for the ambitious stunt by climbing trees in the city's woodland. He was arrested on Wednesday after unfurling a banner in support of Tibetan independence ahead of the Olympic Games. He said: "I first heard about Tibet when I was at Edinburgh University. Some of my friends formed a group and I went along to a film screening and a couple of talks. "As I learned more, I got more and more involved. I felt that my... [read full story]