London police arrest man, conduct controlled explosion outside Buckingham Palace

Police arrested a man outside Buckingham Palace on Tuesday — for throwing what they believe were shotgun cartridges onto the grounds — and carried out a controlled explosion in the area, days before King Charles's coronation ceremony.

Police say the man approached the palace gates and threw the suspected cartridges before being detained by officers at around 6 p.m. local time.

He was searched, found to be carrying a knife and arrested "on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

The statement said police were not currently treating the matter as related to terrorism.

It also said specialists conducted a controlled explosion as a precaution. Cordons had been put in place after the man was found to have a suspicious bag, but the cordons have since been removed.

"There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public," Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald said.

Police and security services are preparing for Charles's coronation on Saturday, which is expected to see large crowds line the streets of London and heads of state from around the world attend.

Buckingham Palace said neither the King nor his wife Camilla were at the palace at the time of the incident.

In 2016, an unarmed man was arrested in the grounds of Buckingham Palace after scaling a perimeter wall. In 2021, a man was arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day wearing a mask and holding a crossbow.