A car crashed into gates near the prime minister’s office on Downing Street in Central London on Thursday afternoon, and the police arrested a man on “suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving.”
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The vehicle hit the gates around 4:20 p.m., and armed officers arrested the man at the site, according to London’s Metropolitan Police. He was not immediately identified.
The police said that “inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances” of the crash. It was not immediately clear if the crash had been deliberate.
The gates are about 350 feet from the front of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office and residence at 10 Downing Street.
Pictures from the site of the crash show a silver vehicle, and the police cordoned off the adjoining road. The street has a high level of security, and the response to the car crash appears to have been swift.
Central London has been the site of major attacks in the past, including one in which a driver struck several pedestrians with a vehicle outside government offices near Westminster Bridge. At least four people, including the assailant, were killed.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
