NEW YORK • A man spent three hours scaling Trump Tower, the New York home and headquarters of the Republican nominee for US President Donald Trump, before police captured him through an open window.

Live television footage showed uniformed New York police officers reaching out and grabbing the young man with curly auburn hair - dressed in grey shorts, an olive T-shirt and white cap - some three hours after he started his ascent using five suction cups.

The 20-year-old Virginia man wanted to meet Mr Trump, police said, without providing his name.

He had been edging his way up the side of the building gingerly - sometimes with his feet dangling precariously as he gripped the suction cups - on a hot and steamy afternoon. Mr Trump was outside the city on Wednesday, holding rallies in Virginia and Florida.

The climber wanted a face-to-face meeting with Mr Trump, as explained in an anonymous YouTube video, Manhattan South police commander William Morris told reporters after the incident. "At no time did he express that he wanted to hurt anybody," he added.

Police took the man to a hospital for a psychological evaluation, after which he would be arrested, commander Morris said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE