White House Fence Height To Double Under Plan

The US Secret Service is proposing a "taller and stronger" White House fence that would almost double its current height from 6ft to 11ft 7in.

A PowerPoint slide presented as part of the proposal shows pictures of the tall iron fence outside Buckingham Palace in London.

"Intrusion detection technology" and "anti-climb features" are built into the Secret Service-backed new design for the new White House barrier.

It is not clear how much the upgraded fence would cost, but the plan is for it to go ahead by 2018.

The Secret Service is awaiting the approval of the National Planning Commission.

The plan is being put forward because of an increasing number of people trying to breach security round the presidential mansion.

Only on Tuesday afternoon, a man was arrested after jumping over a fence at the White House complex.

The suspect, Steven Cox, 30, had earlier groped a female student and robbed others of a mobile phone and purse.