There was panic outside the Houses of Parliament this afternoon, after a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing several knives.
A serious police presence was spotted right next to the gates of the House of Commons, which many MPs, peers and staff use to access the palace.
A statement by the Met Police this afternoon confirmed that the force had made an arrest.
It said: “Police were called at 14:01hrs on Tuesday, 12 November to reports of a man in possession of knives outside Parliament, SW1.”
“Officers attended and a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
“He will be taken to a police station. No injuries have been reported.”
Footage shared by ITV News showed a man in a red hooded jumper and camouflage cap surrounded by heavily armed officers, being searched with blue gloves.
A large Union Jack flag was seen propped up against the main pedestrian gate of the Commons, though it is unknown whether this belonged to the arrested man or had been left there by protesters who often congregate in the area.
The police cars departed the scene around 40 minutes later.
A UK Parliament spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident outside Carriage Gates.”
“Parliamentary Security and the Metropolitan Police are present and managing the situation. For further information please contact the Metropolitan Police.”
The security of MPs was thrust into the headlines in February this year, when the ongoing Palestine protests sparked widespread concerns, followed by a sitting MP’s office being firebombed.
Former Tory MP Stephen Crabb said of the effect of pro-Gaza protests: “It does feel as if things are deteriorating”.
However the Palestine Solidarity Campaign insisted that the issue of MP security “cannot be used to shield MPs from democratic accountability”.
In October following the general election, MPs told Sky News that they are now struggling to set up offices due to the perceived risks against them.
They reported that several MPs had come across landlords who were becoming increasingly reluctant to take them on due to concerns about graffiti and smashed windows.
Nigel Farage has insisted he cannot perform in-person constituency surgeries at the moment, on advice from the House of Commons security team, due to his threat level.
Mr Farage said he risks being stabbed, and witnessing a repeat of the David Amess murder, if he allows “the public to flow through the door”.
Asked whether he will ever do in-person surgeries, Mr Farage replied: “When parliament allows me”.
He suggested that parliament is effectively blocking him from holding the usual MP advice surgeries, after guidance from the Speaker’s office and the security team, something the Speaker later denied.
