A man has been arrested after climbing over a security fence at Buckingham Palace, police have said.

The 22-year-old from Croydon was spotted by police officers who were monitoring CCTV and arrested within a security perimeter at 4.15am on Tuesday.

The man had been drinking, Met Police said.

He did not gain access to the palace and was not armed, the force added.

The man was taken into custody at a central London police station on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site.


Police said the breach was not believed to be terrorism related.

The Queen is currently at Balmoral in Scotland and it is understood that no members of the Royal Family were in residence at the time of the arrest.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.

The incident follows a security breach at the palace in May, when convicted killer Denis Hennessy scaled a perimeter wall and spent around 10 minutes "admiring" the estate's gardens.

Hennessy repeatedly asked, "Is Ma'am in?" before being apprehended by armed police, prosecutor Tom Nicholson told Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to trespass and criminal damage and was jailed for four months.

At the time Commander Adrian Usher, head of the Metropolitan Police's specialist protection, said Hennessy had been arrested "without incident" and that security measures had "worked effectively".