A car has crashed into the gateway to London’s Downing Street while Prime Minister Sunak was at his official residence there. According to the police, the driver was arrested on suspicion of property damage.
In London, a car crashed into the heavy cordon on Downing Street, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lives and works. The driver was arrested on suspicion of property damage and dangerous driving behavior, the police said in the British capital. There were no reports of injuries, the circumstances are still being determined. In the evening, however, the police announced that the incident was not currently being treated as a terrorist-related event.
Whitehall, the main thoroughfare through the government district, was temporarily closed. According to the British television broadcaster BBC, the road has now been reopened. Video circulating online showed a white vehicle driving slowly down Whitehall, heading for the Downing Street gates. After that, the car can be seen with the trunk open in front of the metal gates.
It was still unclear whether it was an accident or on purpose. Prime Minister Sunak was at his office at number 10 at the time of the incident at 4:20 p.m. local time, according to a BBC report. Then he left the property on a scheduled date.
Downing Street is in central London and is home to several government buildings. In addition to the prime minister, the parliamentary group leader of the ruling party and the finance minister also live in the street. Like all British Prime Ministers, Sunak and his family share a flat on Downing Street.
Downing Street has been heavily guarded for years
Downing Street has long been closed to vehicles, and the barrier has been strengthened over the decades. The large black metal fence was erected in 1989 after threats from Northern Ireland terrorists, and the gates are guarded 24 hours a day by armed police.