Houses of Parliament incident: ‘Intruder’ tasered near where PC Keith Palmer was killed

An intruder has been arrested by armed by police inside the gates of the Houses of Parliament.

Parliament was put on lockdown after the incident just before noon inside Carriage Gates – metres from where PC Keith Palmer was killed by a terrorist last year.

Footage from the scene shows numerous armed police officers surrounding the intruder, who had been handcuffed. 

Images show the man, described as dark skinned and in his 20s, being pinned to the ground as an armed officer points a gun at the man’s head.

Police said the incident is not terror-related.

Shouts were heard as police rushed to the scene a few feet inside the gates, which are the main entrance to the highly-guarded estate from Parliament Square.

Security staff and bodyguards for senior ministers also rushed to the scene.

A group of around 10 officers were seen around the suspect and armed police were stationed at the entrance to the estate.

Tourists gathered outside the gates and took photos. The road was not shut.

The man was later seen being led inside a police van at the scene.

A baseball cap and a brown shoe could be seen on the floor nearby.

Carriage Gates has two sets of reinforced gates – one for vehicles going into Parliament and the other for vehicles coming out.

At the time of the incident the ‘out’ gate was open and a black London taxi was just inside the gate, facing the wrong way.

The ‘in’ gate was shut but a large white van was positioned as if to come through.

It is not clear if either vehicle had any connection to the intruder.

PC Keith Palmer, 48, was knifed to death by terrorist Khalid Masood in March 2017 less than 50 yards from today’s incident.

Masood’s car ploughed into people on Westminster Bridge, killing four, before he stormed through Carriage Gates on foot.

He fatally stabbed PC Palmer before being killed himself.

At the time there was shock at the lack of an armed presence near the gate, and chief coroner Mark Lucraft QC found shortcomings in security at the site meant marksmen did not know where they were supposed to patrol.

Since the attack, security at the site has been beefed up, with a permanent armed presence on the entrance.

The Met said in a statement: “A man was detained and arrested by Carriage Gates inside the Palace of Westminster on suspicion of trespassing at a protected site, at around 11.55hrs on Tuesday, 11 December.

“A Taser was deployed. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.”