Buckingham Palace: man arrested after throwing suspected shotgun cartridges detained under Mental Health Act

A man who was arrested after he was seen throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into the ground of Buckingham Palace has been detained under the Mental Health Act. the Met Police has confirmed.

The man was arrested at around 7pm on Tuesday 2 May, four days before the coronation of King Charles on 6 May. He was arrested under suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon - and was also found in possession of a suspicious bag.

A controlled explosion was carried out by specialists following an assessment of the package. There are no reports of any injuries or harm.

The controlled detonation is said to have been heard live on GB News, which was broadcasting from nearby when the incident occurred. Neither King Charles nor Queen Consort Camilla - who live at nearby Clarence House - were at Buckingham Palace at the time of the arrest. The Met Police have said they are not currently treating the incident as terror-related.

A statement from police said: "Police were called at around 19:00hrs on Tuesday, 2 May after a man approached the gates of the palace and threw a number of items, believed to be shotgun cartridges, into the grounds. Officers responded and quickly detained a 59-year-old man who was found with a knife. He was not in possession of a firearm.

"He was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and taken into custody. On Wednesday, 3 May he was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital. He will remain on bail whilst receiving medical care.

"Cordons were in place after the incident after the man was also found to be in possession of a bag. Specialists attended and a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution. There were no reported injuries and the incident is not being treated as terror-related."

Overnight rehearsals for the Coronation, which will take place on Saturday 6 May, went ahead as planned.

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. Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing.”

It comes as attention begins to turn to London for King Charles III’s coronation celebrations - which will be attended by leaders and other royals from around the world. Intensive security measures are expected to be in place around the city before and during the big day, with policing minister Chris Philp describing it as a “huge policing operation”.

Commenting on the suspected shotgun cartrdiges, security minister Tom Tugendhat described the police response as “a fantastic piece of policing” - and assured the public that “a huge security operation” is in place ahead of the coronation. He told BBC Breakfast: “As you saw last night, the police and security services are absolutely ready to intervene when necessary.”

Buckingham Palace has so far declined to comment on the incident.