Man Tasered in grounds of Parliament held under Mental Health Act

A man who was Tasered at the gates of Parliament on Tuesday has been arrested under the Mental Health Act.

Witnesses heard a scream and then shouting as police ran towards the man inside Carriage Gates in the shadow of Big Ben, just yards from where Pc Keith Palmer was stabbed to death last year.

The man, described as dark skinned and wearing an olive-coloured shirt, was immediately detained by uniformed officers.

He was Tasered and struck with a baton by officers inside the precincts and then pinned to the ground just yards inside the gates. 

One report said the man had gained access to the Parliamentary estate. He was handcuffed and bundled into a police van, and driven away.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "A man was arrested by Carriage Gates, inside the Palace of Westminster, on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site at around 11.55hrs on Tuesday, 11 December.

"A Taser was deployed. Enquiries into the circumstances continue."

In a statement early on Wednesday, police said the 29-year-old man, who was unarmed, underwent a mental health assessment.

"He has now been taken to hospital after being detained under the Mental Health Act," police said. 

The incident is not believed to be terror-related, reports said.

On the ground, police officers confirmed that a man had burst through the open Carriage Gates and had made it into the grounds of the Houses of Parliament. 

Witness Victoria Umunna, 69, saw a commotion and a flurry of activity. She said there was some shouting and man was taken away very quickly. 

“If this was America he would have been dead,” she said. “Only in England he would be alive. Thanks to Jesus.” 

Extra police officers, some of them armed, were brought in to bolster security on the gates, but 45 minutes after the intrusion, they were stood down. 

Shortly afterwards, seemingly carrying on with business as usual, Chancellor Philip Hammond was seen exiting the Carriage Gates in the back of his ministerial car. 

Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, tweeted her admiration for the police saying: "Always in awe at the professionalism, courage and dedication of the police who guard the Palace of Westminster. Thank you all."