Man arrested after incident outside Buckingham Palace

Officers detained the man at about 7pm after he approached the gates of the palace in central London.

He was held on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after he was searched and a knife was found, but he was not carrying a gun, the Metropolitan police said.

Cordons were put in place after the man was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag, the force added. Roads have now reopened and most of the cordons have been lifted

Specialists attended and after an assessment a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution.

Police do not believe it was a terrorist incident, and the mental health history of the suspect is being examined. The man arrested is believed to have been acting alone and it is being treated as an isolated incident.

Armed police who guard the palace can open fire if they perceive a threat to the lives of themselves or others. Police said no shots were fired.

Thousands of officers are being drawn from across the UK for the ceremonial event.