He may be famous for his magical illusions and stunts in America. But not all Londoners are impressed by David Blaine's bid to spend 40 days without food in a glass box suspended from a crane in the centre of the English capital.

Shortly after the American began his stunt he was pelted with eggs, taunted with the smell of fish and chips and woken up by a man banging on a drum.

"We were watching him at home on TV and it was really dull so we thought we would come down and liven things up. I wanted to wake him up," impromptu drummer Shiraz Azam, 21, told London's Evening Standard.

Police were called to deal with one man throwing eggs at Blaine's glass box. He was given a stern talking to but not arrested. Another egg thrower was caught and held down by security staff, and Blaine's girl friend threw an egg at him.

Three men were chased away after trying to hit the glass case with golf balls. In another attempt to annoy Blaine, red laser lights were trained on the case. This was suggested on a website dedicated to depriving the magician of sleep.

The 30-year-old New Yorker may be well used to drawing crowds of admirers for his other challenges in the United States, including being buried alive and encased in a block of ice. But newspapers said some Londoners were devising ways of breaking the American's spirit, saying they were bored with his latest stunt.


The stunt also caused traffic problems with motorists driving across the London's Tower Bridge slowing down to take a look.

- September 21, 2003