Downing Street sledgehammer attack man arrested
A man has been arrested following an attack on Downing Street’s gates with a sledgehammer.
The attack, which took place on Friday morning at around 6.20am, has led to the closure of the section of Whitehall from Parliament Square to the Horse Guards building, while security checks are carried out.
The roads were reopened at around 7.30am.
The reasons for the attack and the name of the man arrested are not yet known.
However, police do not believe the incident to be terrorist-related.
“This is not being treated as a terrorist incident. A more likely explanation is a small protest or mental illness”, a Scotland Yard spokesperson announced.
Downing Street has been the site of previous disturbances. Last year, a group of people were arrested for throwing white paint at the gates to the street, in protest at what they saw as the “whitewash” over the war in Iraq.
