Armed intruder arrested at Windsor Castle as Queen celebrates Christmas

An armed man was arrested after attempting to break into Windsor Castle where the Queen was celebrating Christmas with her family.

Police said the intruder was carrying an offensive weapon but did not break into any buildings on Christmas Day morning.

The suspect was being held in custody and the royals had been informed, Thames Valley police said.

A 19-year-old man from Southampton was arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon, they added.

Officers from Thames Valley and the Metropolitan police responded to a security breach at around 8.30am within the grounds of the castle in Berkshire.

The Sunday Mirror said the arrest came after security controllers monitoring CCTV spotted a man carrying what appeared to be a crossbow.

The Mail on Sunday said sources suggested the man was armed with a crossbow and used a rope ladder to scale a metal fence.