Man Crashes Car into Downing Street Gates While PM Sunak was Inside

A person crashed his car into the gates of 10 Downing Street in London, the official residence of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Thursday.

Sunak was inside at the time of the incident. He left the place through another exit. The accident-causing man was immediately arrested.

“At around 16.20 hours [local time] a car collided with the gates of Downing Street on Whitehall,” said British police said in a statement.

“Armed officers arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving. There are no reports of any injuries. Inquiries are ongoing,” the police sources added.

As CCTV footage emerged, a handcuffed heavy-set man with white hair could be seen being led away by armed police officers. The security around 10 Downing Street is too strict since the militant Irish Republican Army (IRA) threat in the 1990s.

The main gates remain shut at all times behind movable barriers and are opened only briefly for any official cars entering or exiting the street. Any visitors to Downing Street are subjected to strict checks.

A few days back in a similar incident, a 19-year-old Indian-American man crashed a truck into a security barrier near the White House.