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Armed police today arrested a man at gunpoint outside Parliament and Tasered him after he reached for a knife.

Officers ran towards Carriage Gates in response to shouts of "knife, knife, knife" outside shortly after 11.10am as the entrance to the Palace of Westminster was shut.

A bearded man, wearing black trousers and a grey sweatshirt, was held against the fence with his arms behind his back by a police officer.

Scotland Yard confirmed a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife. Cops were seen picking items up off the floor close to the man.

In an updated statement, police said the incident was not declared a terrorist one but said counter terror detectives will investigate as they remain "open minded" to the motive.

(Image: Ben Glaze/Twitter)

(Image: PA)

Police said the man was Tasered by officers as he reached for a knife.

The incident happened just metres away from where PC Keith Palmer was killed in the Westminster terror attack in March.

Members of the public and staff were asked to stay on the building side of New Palace Yard.

Eyewitnesses told how the man was wrestled to the floor as armed police raced to the scene.

(Image: Ben Hansen Hicks‏) (Image: Mikey Smith/ Mirror Online)

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Aaron Simons, who was walking from Westminster Tube station to College Green at the time of the incident, told Mirror Online: "I had my headphones in and wasn't really concentrating but then heard shouting from the police and people starting running the other way.

"I looked up at a man was being wrestled to the ground by a couple of policeman.

"He was struggling on the ground and a load of armed police ran out and trained their guns on him.

(Image: Ben Hansen Hicksâ€)

(Image: Ben Hansen Hicks / SWNS.com)

"They also then shut the gate immediately and one of the officers tasered him."

Mr Simons said bystanders fled in fear while some tourists watched on in shock.

The London Evening Standard's political reporter Joe Murphy tweeted: "There were shouts of "knife knife knife" and man was brought down with a Taser."

Footage circulating on social media showed the man being led into a van by police.

(Image: Rex Features) (Image: Mikey Smith/ Mirror Online)

The incident is not thought to be terror related and no one was injured.

A police spokesman said: "At 11:10am on Friday officers on routine duties near to the Carriage Gates entrance to the Palace of Westminster became aware of a man acting suspiciously.

"The officers approached the man in order to speak with him. The man reached for a knife, and police discharged a Taser.

"The man - aged in his 30s - was arrested for possession of a knife. Nobody was injured.

"The arrested man has been taken to a central London police station, where he remains in custody.

"At this time it is too early to understand the motivation so we have not declared this a terrorist incident. However given the location, the circumstances and recent tragic events, the MPS Counter Terrorism Command will be investigating this incident.

"We remain open minded as to whether terrorism was a motive.

"Once again we commend the actions of our armed and unarmed officers based in Westminster who are keeping the public safe."