Arrest after ‘shotgun cartridges’ thrown into palace grounds
‘The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and will be taken into custody’
A MAN has been arrested for throwing shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace in a major security scare just days before the Coronation.
The area around the palace was cordoned off following the incident at 7pm yesterday and came amid heightened security fears over the Coronation, with counter-terrorism police having previously warned the public to “stay alert” while in London during the celebrations.
Scotland Yard said the man was carrying a suspicious bag and his possessions were being examined, while a media area in front of the palace was evacuated. A controlled explosion was carried out as a precautionary measure.
A Met spokesman said: “Officers quickly detained a man at around 7pm on Tuesday May 2, after he approached the gates of Buckingham Palace SW1 and threw a number of items – suspected to be shotgun cartridges – into the palace grounds.
“These have been recovered and will be taken for specialist examination. There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries. The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and will be taken into custody.
“Cordons are in place after the man was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag. Specialists are in attendance and will assess the item.”
The Daily Telegraph understands that neither the King nor Queen were in residence at the palace at the time of the attack, which took place in advance of the first rehearsal for the Coronation.
It is believed that the suspect’s state of mental health is one line of inquiry being pursued by the police.
The incident followed the arrival of guests to the palace earlier yesterday in advance of the rehearsals, including the Queen’s grandsons, Gus and Louis Lopes, who are taking part as her pages, and Lady Hussey, who served as Elizabeth II’S lady-in-waiting.
Thousands of wellwishers are expected to attend the Coronation on Saturday, with street parties planned
across the country to mark the occasion.
Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary has fast-tracked legislation that will ensure that, from today, protesters will face tougher penalties for disruptive action at major national events.
Protesters who block roads, airports and railways could face 12 months in jail. Anyone locking on to others, objects or buildings could go to prison for six months and face an unlimited fine.
Police will also be able to head off disruption by stopping and searching protesters if they suspect they are setting out to cause chaos.
It is understood the Home Office’s Police Powers Unit has written to the campaign group Republic saying that the new powers have been brought forward to prevent “disruption at major sporting and cultural events”.
Mrs Braverman said: “The public shouldn’t have their daily lives ruined by so called ‘eco-warriors’ causing disruption and wasting millions of pounds of taxpayer money.
“The selfish minority must not be
‘The public shouldn’t have their daily lives ruined by so-called “eco-warriors” wasting taxpayer money’
allowed to get away with this. We are giving our police and courts the tools they need to stop this chaos. I back them in making full use of these powers.”
The Guardian reported that the Home Office letter to Republic said: “I would be grateful if you could publicise and forward this letter to your members who are likely to be affected by these legislative changes.” Graham Smith, the group’s chief executive, described the letter as “very odd” and said he was seeking assurances from the police that nothing had changed in relation to the group’s plans to protest on Coronation day.
“We have been in contact with liaison officers and senior commanders, who we have been very clear with about what we intend to do. Their response is that they are happy for us to proceed,” he said.