London (CNN) A man with a lighter has been detained outside the UK's Parliament after covering himself in what appeared to be gasoline, London's Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday.

"A man was detained in Parliament Square, Westminster at [approximately] 10:45 today after dousing himself with what appeared to be a flammable liquid," the force said on Twitter

In a statement, police said the man was sprayed with a fire extinguisher. "There was no ignition," it added.

Police said there were no injuries at the scene, adding that the London Ambulance Service was on hand to assess the man. He was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to a central London hospital.

Incident at #Parliament. Police have closed Carriage Gate and someone has been arrested. Rumor someone's thrown petrol, can smell it from the other side of the road, one person in red jacket being held by the police! pic.twitter.com/qsLE1wcv6M — LondonResisters (@ResistersLondon) October 1, 2019

According to the statement, the London Fire Brigade made the area safe by dispersing the suspected flammable liquid. The scene was reopened to the public around midday local time.

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