Smashing innit? Man arrested after crashing car into Buckingham Palace gates

London – Officers arrested a man who crashed a car into the gates of London's Buckingham Palace over the weekend, police said on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police said the car "collided with the gates" of the royal residence at 02:30 (GMT) on Saturday.

Armed officers arrested the man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and he was taken to hospital, a spokesperson for the force said.

They added that no one was injured, and inquiries were ongoing to establish the circumstances, the spokesperson added.

Security measures at Buckingham Palace, the British royal family's official residence, are stringent, with the building in the heart of the capital constantly monitored by armed officers.

The palace has faced multiple break-in attempts in the past.

In September last year, a 25-year-old man was arrested after trying to enter the royal stables.

In the lead-up to King Charles III's coronation last May, a man was arrested for throwing shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

The same month, a 43-year-old man was arrested for ramming his car into the gates that guard Downing Street, home of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.