Intruder evades Parliament’s ‘ring of steel’ by climbing on to roof

THE “ring of steel” introduced after the Westminster terror attack was sidestepped yesterday by an intruder who scaled a clock tower and climbed on to Parliament’s roof.

The man was able to evade armed police officers stationed at the main security gates at the Palace of Westminster, just yards from where the attack took place last year.

Parliament was placed on high alert shortly before midday when the man, who was subsequently arrested, was able to make his way on to the estate and climb up scaffolding on to the roof of the Palace of Westminster. He was eventually detained 30 minutes after officers were first alerted to reports of a man acting suspiciously near Carriage Gates – the main entrance used by vehicles entering Parliament.

The incident, which lasted from 11.30am until noon, saw dozens of armed officers swarm into New Palace Yard, the main thoroughfare, before they were able to arrest the man.

He was placed in a police vehicle and driven from the estate.

It comes 14 months after Khalid Masood, the terrorist, was shot dead after he managed to force his way through the security gates and stab to death Pc Keith Palmer. Seconds beforehand, Masood had driven a car into a crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four people and injuring an estimated 50.

Parliamentary security was upgraded in the wake of the attack, with the existing Carriage Gates removed and replaced with a pair of bulkier, less decorative gates constructed out of rectangular metal tubing and covered in wire mesh.

The gates remain closed throughout the day with armed police officers now permanently stationed inside the entrance. House of Commons officials confirmed a security alert had been initiated after the latest incident but refused to comment further.