Man ‘is tasered and pinned to the ground by armed police at Houses of Parliament’ 

Armed police tasered an intruder and pinned him to the ground after he got in through the gates of Parliament this morning.

The man was bundled to the cobbles of New Palace Yard, not far from where Westminster terror attacker Khalid Masood murdered PC Keith Palmer last year.

The suspect is said to have ran in through gates as a taxi drove out. He made it a few metres into the Parliamentary estate before he was stopped and Tasered to the ground.

He shouted ‘we’re coming for you politicians’ before he was put in a police van and driven away, witnesses said.

The incident, which is not currently being treated as terror-related, will raise further questions about security around the Houses of Parliament, following a series of terror attacks.

Armed police have Tasered a man inside the gates of Parliament this afternoon, just yards from where the Westminster terror attacker killed an officer last year

The man was handcuffed by officers and taken away to a central London police station

The man was handcuffed by officers and taken away to a central London police station

The suspect, wearing a green jacket and a orange and blue top, was pictured after his arrest

The suspect, wearing a green jacket and a orange and blue top, was pictured after his arrest

The suspect was restrained by police before being held in a police box and then driven away 

The suspect was restrained by police before being held in a police box and then driven away 

Witnesses claimed the man jumped over railings, but police said he came in through the gates

Witnesses claimed the man jumped over railings, but police said he came in through the gates

One witness told The Independent: ‘I heard police shouting – at first I thought they were just shouting at tourists to stay back – but there was a guy stood just inside the gates facing [away from Parliament].

‘He was just stood there with his arms out being approached by lots of police and wasn’t responding to the screams. I heard a crack, which I guess was the Taser because I saw the Taser wires after, and he went down and very quickly they were all on him.’ 

Pictures from the scene show the man – who was wearing a black cap, a green jacket and jeans – pinned to the ground with three officers around him.

One of the policemen was aiming a gun at his head, another had used the Taser and a third held a baton.   

Another eyewitness said: ‘I saw a guy fall to the floor and he was on the floor surrounded by armed officers. He was shouting something.

‘He had been Tasered, you could see the wires. I did not hear the police shouting anything, but that could be because of all the commotion. 

‘They handcuffed him and got him to his feet, then unzipped his jacket to see if he had anything hidden on him

‘Everybody was just watching, surprised that something like this was happening. Two armed police cars, BMW X5s turned up and armed police came out of the grounds and told us to get back. They then set up cordons around the entrance.’ 

The police confirmed a suspect was detained inside the Carriage Gates on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site

'A Taser was deployed. Enquiries into the circumstances continue,' a Met Police statement added

The police confirmed a suspect was detained inside the Carriage Gates on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site 

The man was later pinned down to the ground while armed officers surrounded him, with one pointing a gun at his head. Pictured: The moment the man was arrested inside the grounds of the Houses of Parliament 

The man was later pinned down to the ground while armed officers surrounded him, with one pointing a gun at his head. Pictured: The moment the man was arrested inside the grounds of the Houses of Parliament 

He could be seen being held against a fence inside the Carriage Gates entrance to the Palace of Westminster complex. Around a dozen police officers were inside the gates with him

He could be seen being held against a fence inside the Carriage Gates entrance to the Palace of Westminster complex. Around a dozen police officers were inside the gates with him

This image shows the suspect (circled) before he was led away by armed officers into a police van 

This image shows the suspect (circled) before he was led away by armed officers into a police van 

Tourists gathered around the Carriage Gates and took photos as the suspect was led away.

Many political journalists also rushed to the scene from their offices in the Houses of Parliament. 

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘A man was detained and arrested by Carriage Gates inside the Palace of Westminster on suspicion of trespassing at a protected site, at around 11.55am on Tuesday, 11 December.

‘A Taser was deployed. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.’ 

A House of Commons spokesman said: ‘We are aware of a situation outside the Palace of Westminster that was handled by the Met Police and is now over.’ 

The Palace of Westminster estate carried on as usual during this morning’s incident.

The incident happened at 11.55am, according to a statement released by the Met Police 

The incident happened at 11.55am, according to a statement released by the Met Police 

A police van later arrived in the courtyard below Big Ben and the man was taken away

A police van later arrived in the courtyard below Big Ben and the man was taken away

‘There hasn’t been a lockdown at any point,’ a House of Commons spokesman told MailOnline.

All public roads also remained open as officers restrained the suspect and led him away. 

Christopher Hope, of the Daily Telegraph, told the BBC: ‘I heard a scream and then looked out the window, and then about half a dozen police officers who appeared not to be armed were running towards a man.

‘And then it appears the man was Tasered. It appears to be contained now. There are armed police patrolling downstairs by the Christmas tree.’

Luke Pollard MP tweeted: ‘Media are reporting an incident in Parliament. Me and my team in Westminster are safe and well. A timely reminder of the dedication and professionalism of the Police who keep our democracy safe. Thank you.’ 

How did he get in? Police probe how intruder breached Parliament’s gates 

Police are today investigating how an intruder managed to get through the gates of Parliament despite beefed up security measures following the murder of PC Keith Palmer.

The suspect managed to run a few yards inside the gates before he was shot with a Taser and pinned to the ground.

It is understood he was able to sprint into New Palace Yard when officers opened the Carriage Gates to let in a black cab.

Armed Police outside the Carriage Gates where the incident happened at around 11am 

Armed Police outside the Carriage Gates where the incident happened at around 11am 

His arrest happened feet from where PC Palmer was stabbed to death by Khalid Masood in March 2017. 

Police beefed up security after his murder but are today investigating how another intruder made it through the giant iron gates guarded by armed police. 

A Met spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We are looking at the circumstances’. 

Masood was able to run through Parliament’s open Carriage Gate before he was shot dead. 

He had already killed four others using a car on Westminster Bridge.

Today's incident unfolded just yards from where terrorist Khalid Masood (pictured) killed PC Keith Palmer in March 2017

Today's incident unfolded just yards from where terrorist Khalid Masood killed PC Keith Palmer (pictured) in March 2017

Today’s incident unfolded just yards from where terrorist Khalid Masood killed PC Keith Palmer in March 2017

In April 2017 – three weeks after PC Palmer’s death – a new larger and taller black iron security gates covered in wire mesh were installed.

They are now permanently closed unless a car requires access, but this was not the case when PC Palmer was murdered.

It is understood today’s Tasered man may have run in when a vehicle was given access. 

A security review two years before PC Keith Palmer’s death concluded that the gate where he was stationed was ‘vulnerable’ because it was manned by unarmed officers.

But the Houses of Parliament threat assessment was never passed on to police on the ground.

Photos from the day of the Westminster terror attack look remarkably similar to today

Photos from the day of the Westminster terror attack look remarkably similar to today

On the day of Khalid Masood’s attack, no firearms officer was seen near Carriage Gates for almost an hour before PC Palmer was knifed.

Instead, marksmen prioritised the Members’ Entrance which was used by ministers and MPs to attend Prime Minister’s Questions.

Concerns about the lack of security at the entrance to Parliament were raised by MPs just two weeks before they were breached by Masood.

They warned that the main wrought-iron gates were often open, leaving just waist-high barriers – described as being as flimsy as Meccano – that could easily be jumped.

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk