Man arrested after car strikes gates of Buckingham Palace

LONDON: British police said on Sunday a man had been arrested after a car crashed into the gates of Buckingham Palace in central London.

Grainy images on social media showed a car at the front gates of the palace. British media quoted a witness as saying they had heard “a loud bang”.

Police said the incident had occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“Armed officers arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage,” London police said in a statement. “He was taken to hospital where following assessment he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. The matter is not being treated as terror-related.”

Buckingham Palace said no member of the royal family was resident at the time of the incident and repairs to the gates were underway.