Days before King Charles’ coronation ceremony, a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace on Tuesday (02) for throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into the palace grounds. Following the incident, police officers conducted a controlled explosion in the area.
The man had approached the palace gates and threw the items before being detained by officers at approximately 1800 GMT.
“The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after he was searched and a knife was found,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in an updated statement.
According to the statement, authorities are not considering the incident as a terrorism-related matter.
As preparations for King Charles’ coronation on Saturday (06) continue, law enforcement and security services are gearing up for the large crowds expected to line the streets of London, and for the attendance of heads of state from around the world at the formal ceremony.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that neither the king nor his wife, Camilla, were present at the palace during Tuesday’s incident.
The statement said experts carried out a controlled explosion as a preventive measure. Also, after the discovery of a suspicious bag in the possession of the detained individual, cordons were established in the area, but they have since been removed.
“There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public,” said Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald.
(Reuters)
