Man arrested after car crashes into gates of Buckingham Palace

LONDON: Armed Scotland Yard officers swooped in to arrest a man after a car crashed into the main gates of Buckingham Palace in London, which remains shuttered up on Sunday following the incident.

The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday and the suspect was taken to hospital after his arrest.

“At approximately 2.33 am on Saturday, a car collided with the gates of Buckingham Palace,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.

“Armed officers arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage. He was taken to hospital. There were no reports of any injuries. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances,” the spokesperson said.

King Charles III, who had been at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, is not thought to have been in residence at his London palace at the time of the incident. The 75-year-old monarch has cut down on his public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.

Security at Buckingham Palace has been tightened over the years following incidents of intrusion. Last September, a 25-year-old man was arrested near the stables of the London palace after he climbed the wall to enter the Royal Mews. The Metropolitan Police said at the time that the man did not gain access to the palace grounds at any point.