A 34-year-old man has been arrested following reports of a person carrying knives outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
Police were called at 2.01pm to Carriage Gates, a prominent entrance to the Palace of Westminster, where officers found a man in possession of knives. The man, wearing a red hooded top, was handcuffed and detained. The area was cordoned off and the entrance closed during the incident.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. No injuries were reported. The man will be taken to a police station.
A UK Parliament spokesperson stated they were aware of the incident and that parliamentary security and police were managing the situation. An initial police assessment found no evidence of a terrorism link, and the case is not being treated as such. Authorities are investigating why knives were carried near such a sensitive site.
Security around Parliament is among the highest in the UK. In 2017, PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death during a terrorist attack at the same location.
