A report by BBC citing the police said that a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace, on Tuesday (May 2) after throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into palace grounds. The area around the palace was cordoned off after the man was detained by police at around 19:00 (local time).
The incident comes just four days before King Charles III’s coronation, with rehearsals for the procession scheduled to take place later in the evening. According to London’s Metropolitan Police, the man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. A controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution after an assessment from specialists, said the media report.
Police Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald said, “Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody. There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public.”
He added, “Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing.”
Meanwhile, a controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution after an assessment from specialists, reported BBC. The police also said that the man approached the gates of Buckingham Palace and threw a number of items including, suspected shotgun cartridges, into the grounds.
He was also “found to be in possession of a suspicious bag,” said the Metropolitan Police, in a statement. It added, “At this time, we are not treating the matter as terror-related.”
According to media reports, the King and Queen Consort were not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident. Officials at the Buckingham Palace are yet to comment. This comes as the Mall leading to the palace, has been closed off to traffic in preparation for Saturday’s coronation.
King Charles’ coronation is the first to take place in Britain in 70 years and London is set to witness huge crowds, including thousands of ceremonial troops taking part in the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
According to the latest update, the roads have now been reopened and most of the cordons have been lifted
(With inputs from agencies)
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