A video has emerged apparently showing a car being driven into the gates at Downing Street earlier today. It shows a small silver hatchback being driven across the middle of Whitehall, past the Cenotaph war memorial and into the gates - apparently at low speed.
A man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving after the incident at around 4.20pm on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Images on social media showed the silver car surrounded by emergency vehicles. The force added that no-one has been hurt. In a statement released on Twitter, the Metropolitan Police said: “At around 16:20hrs a car collided with the gates of Downing Street on Whitehall. Armed officers arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving. There are no reports of any injuries. Inquiries are ongoing.”
Large sections of Whitehall have been closed to the public and vehicles following the incident, with pedestrians being turned away from the main thoroughfare around Downing Street in central London, the Mirror reports.
There is a significant police presence in the area. There are cordons around Whitehall with police officers blocking access to the street from outside the Ministry of Defence. The incident comes as many civil servants are leaving their offices for the day in the area.
It is understood that Rishi Sunak was working in No10 at the time of the incident but has now left on a pre-arranged visit. A man was then seen being led away in handcuffs by several police officers, who were also seen searching the boot of the car.
Witness Simon Parry, 44, said he heard a "bang" and saw police pointing Taser guns at a man.
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"I heard a bang and looked up and saw loads of police with Taser guns shouting at the man," he said. "A lot of police vehicles came very quickly and were very quick to evacuate the area."
Mr Parry said the driver had his "face to the floor" as he was being arrested. He said the man appeared to slow down before he reached the gates of Downing Street, having driven out from the other side of the road.
"There were sniffer dogs and a bomb squad," he added.
Asked to describe the mood in the immediate aftermath, Mr Parry said: "We saw people that were in a panic running away and we saw people who were excited."
There is a heavy police presence in the area during the incident, with two police motorbikes blocking the entrance to Whitehall from Parliament Square and vehicles barricading the road from the Trafalgar Square end.
Entry to Downing Street is blocked by black gates, which are manned at all times by armed police officers. The narrow street behind the gates contains the No10, the Prime Minister's official residence, and No11, the official home of the Chancellor.
The gates were put up in response to threats from the IRA in 1989.
