UK 'ready to deal' with coronation threats after man arrested

UK security services are "ready to deal" with the challenges presented by the coronation, the government said Wednesday, after the arrest of a man suspected of throwing shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Police arrested the man, who was allegedly armed with a knife, at about 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Tuesday, causing concern just days before King Charles III's coronation, which will be attended by global royalty and world leaders.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat sought to reassure the public on Wednesday, telling Times Radio that police were "all over" the challenges presented by the historic event. 

"Our intelligence and other security forces are extremely aware of the challenges that we face and ready to deal with them as the police did quite brilliantly yesterday," he said.

The Metropolitan Police said officers conducted a controlled explosion on a suspicious bag the arrested man was carrying "as a precaution". 

It later added that it was not treating the matter as terrorism-related. 

The man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after he was searched and a knife was found, the London force said.

"Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody," Met Police chief superintendent Joseph McDonald said in a statement.

"There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public."

- Golden Orb -

British media reported that neither Charles, 74, or his wife Queen Consort Camilla, 75, were at the palace at the time. 

Buckingham Palace officials declined to comment.

The drama unfolded Tuesday evening after the man approached the gates to the palace and threw several items into the grounds suspected to be shotgun cartridges, according to the Met.

They have been recovered and will be taken for specialist examination.

The Mall, leading to Buckingham Palace, has been closed off to traffic in preparation for Saturday's coronation, which is the first to take place in Britain for 70 years.

Thousands of ceremonial troops will take part in a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey as part of the coronation -- dress rehearsals for which took place overnight Tuesday to Wednesday -- with huge crowds expected.

The security operation to protect the route to and from the abbey -- dubbed Operation Golden Orb -- will include rooftop snipers and undercover officers, as well as airport-style scanners, sniffer dogs and a no-fly zone over central London.

Senior Metropolitan Police officers told reporters on Wednesday that 9,000 officers will be on duty on the day of the coronation in "one of the most significant security operations" that the force has led.

Buckingham Palace has rejected reports that the security operation would cost at least £100 million ($125 million), raising eyebrows -- and complaints -- as many Britons struggle with the soaring cost of living.

"I've seen a number of different estimated figures floating around, some more fanciful than others," a palace spokesperson told reporters.

"A national occasion like this, a great state occasion, does attract huge global interest that more than repays the expenditure that goes with it."

New police powers to stop protests have been brought forward to ensure that roads and footpaths remain open during the celebrations, said Tugendhat.

The streets of the capital have in recent years been blocked by environmental protesters, and republicans opposed to the monarchy say they will stage a demonstration on the procession route.

"The police need to have extra powers to move people on. I think that's perfectly reasonable," said Tugendhat.

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© Agence France-Presse

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