8:34pm UK, Friday September 26, 2003

A 28-year-old man has been charged with criminal damage after paint bombs were fired at illusionist David Blaine.

Unemployed Henry Cookson, of Kinnoul Road, west London, will appear at Tower Bridge magistrates court on October 10.

Paint mark on Blaine's box

He is alleged to have used a catapult to fire balloons filled with pink paint at the magician at 3am.

One of them scored a direct hit on Blaine's clear perspex cage, waking up the 30-year-old New Yorker.

In a separate incident, another man has already been charged with criminal damage and threatening behaviour after allegedly trying to cut off Blaine's water supply.

The magician is approaching the halfway stage in his attempt to spend 44 days without food in his box, suspended from a crane near Tower Bridge in London.