Arrest, 'controlled explosion' at Buckingham Palace: police

British police arrested a man on Tuesday evening after he threw what is suspected to be shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace, days before the coronation ceremony of King Charles III.

The Metropolitan Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.

He was also in possession of what the police described as a suspicious bag.

What do we know about the incident?

"Officers quickly detained the man at around 19:00hrs on Tuesday, 2 May after he approached the gates of Buckingham Palace, SW1 and threw a number of items - suspected to be shotgun cartridges - into the Palace grounds," the police said in a statement.

The police said it carried out a "controlled explosion" as a precaution after a specialist assessment.

“There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public," Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald said. “Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing.”

Most cordons were later removed and roads surrounding the palace were reopened, the Metropolitan Police said. It added that the incident was not being treated as a terror-related one for the time being.

Neither King Charles nor his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, were at the palace at the time of the incident, British media reported.

The formal coronation of King Charles is scheduled for Saturday and is due to be attended by heads of states from around the world.

rmt/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)