Jacob Rees Mogg evacuated from GB News studios as Buckingham Palace locked down following controlled explosion

A man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon outside Buckingham Palace - just days before King Charles III’s coronation 

A controlled explosion was carried out by police on Tuesday evening  (May 2) just outside of Buckingham Palace. The incident comes just days before King Charles is due to arrive for his coronation. 

A man has been arrested by Metropolitan Police on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon. Cordons were set up around the scene as a precaution while the controlled explosion took place after  what police believe to be shotgun shells were thrown into the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Chief superintendent Joseph McDonald, said: “Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody. There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public. Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing.”

He added: "Officers quickly detained the man at around 7pm on Tuesday, May 2, after he approached the gates of Buckingham Palace, SW1, and threw a number of items - suspected to be shotgun cartridges - into the palace grounds.

"These have been recovered and will be taken for specialist examination. The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

"Cordons are in place after the man was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag. Specialists attended and following an assessment a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution."

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg was forced to evacuate his GB News studio by police while the controlled explosion took place. The Tory MP was broadcasting his show live near the palace as the blast went off in the background.

Police told him to leave his Portakabin near the palace, but the Brexiteer refused to leave until officers marched into this tiny studio and ordered him and his guest out. The noise of the controlled blast could be heard in the background as he addressed the camera.

Rees-Mogg - MP for North East Somerset - told his audience: "The police are live with us now and they are telling us we have to evacuate from this Portakabin. I'm very sorry to say 'good evening' for the time being, I think that was probably a controlled explosion in the background, that’s what it sounded like to me, we will no doubt find out later."

Jacob Rees-Mogg in Westminster, London, after the European Council in Brussels agreed to a second extension to the Brexit process. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 11, 2019. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Despite trying to carry on the broadcast, officers then ordered them off the air as the area around the palace went into lockdown. Neither King Charles nor Queen Consort, Camilla, were in Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident.