LONDON, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- British police said Friday that they've arrested a hammer-wielding man in Salisbury, England, for trying to steal Magna Carta, one of the most famous documents in British history.

Alarms went off when an attempt was made to smash the glass box which protects the charter. The document was not damaged and nobody was injured, police said.

The Magna Carta, an English historical writ that enshrined the principles of the rule of law, was issued by King John of England in 1215.

The document is housed in Salisbury Cathedral. A visitor was seen "smashing the case of the Magna Carta with a hammer and trying to destroy it" on Friday, according to local media reports.

A press photo showed that the hammer made three holes in the top layer of protective glass.