25 May 2023 , 15:49
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A man has been arrested by armed officers after a car crashed into the gates of Downing Street.
Police closed off Whitehall after a small silver Kia careered into the security gates outside the Prime Minister's official residence at around 4.20pm.
It is understood that Rishi Sunak was working in No10 at the time of the incident but later left on a pre-arranged visit.
Footage shows the car veering across the middle of Whitehall, past the Cenotaph war memorial, before ramming into the gates of Downing Street.
A large middle aged man wearing sunglasses and a T-shirt was then seen being led away in handcuffs by several police officers.
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Police were also seen searching the boot of the car.
Police at the scene after a car collided with the gates of Downing Street in London (AFP via Getty Images)Scotland Yard said it was not being treated as "terror-related".
In a statement released nearly two hours after the crash, the Metropolitan Police said: "A small cordon remains in place outside Downing Street after a car collided with the gates earlier this afternoon.
"The incident is being dealt with by local officers in Westminster and isn't currently being treated as terror-related."
The Metropolitan Police said there did not appear to have been any injuries, but there had been an arrest.
"Armed officers arrested a man on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving after a car collided with the gates of Downing Street," a spokesman said.
"There are no reports of any injuries. Enquiries are ongoing."
Video footage shows the car, circled in red, opposite the gates of Downing Street (Pixel8000)Witness Simon Parry, 44, said he heard a "bang" and saw police pointing Taser guns at a man.
"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."
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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.
A man was being seen led away by police (Twitter)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 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.