A police officer sprays the man with a fire extinguisher after he poured what appeared to be petrol on himself (Picture: LNP)

A man has been detained outside the Palace of Westminster after he was seen pouring a liquid over himself from a coke bottle and holding a lighter.

The unnamed man was pinned up against the wall near Carriage Gates, the vehicle exit into Parliament Square, before being put on the ground.

It is close to the spot where PC Keith Palmer was hacked to death by Khalid Masood, 52, who killed four people on Westminster Bridge in March 2017.

Fire crews were called to this morning’s incident shortly after 10.45am over fears that the liquid in the two litre bottle was petrol.




Witnesses described seeing police pouncing on the man while images from the scene show officers spraying him using a fire extinguisher.

Images show him holding a purple lighter as the white foam was poured on him.

Police ordered people to stay back as the man was sprayed with the fire extinguisher (Picture: LNP)

Police officers pinned him to the ground to detain him before he was taken to an ambulance (Picture: LNP)

He appeared to have a purple lighter in his hand but was unable to light it after being sprayed with white foam (Picture: LNP)

Huw Merriman MP saw what happened. He said: ‘Man next to me at Parliament’s carriage gates appears to have poured (what smells like) petrol on himself.

‘Incredibly brave response from police, who are now helping him.’

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There was also a large ‘We voted leave’ poster nearby, although it is not known if this was connected to the ongoing incident.

Part of Parliament Square was closed while police dealt with the incident and the man was taken to a nearby ambulance with his hands on the back of his head.

He was described as being black, in his 20s, wearing jogging bottoms, trainers and a red coat.

Scotland Yard Tweeted that the man was detained at around 10.45am after ‘dousing himself with what appeared to be a flammable liquid.’

He has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

A fire engine was also called to the scene along with back-up from several other officers.

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Armed police and the fire brigade were quickly on the scene (Picture: ResistersLondon)

A fire extinguisher was used on the man as police pinned him up against the wall (Picture: ResistersLondon)

The man was pinned up against a wall after pouring liquid on himself (Picture: ResistersLondon)

Man next to me at Parliament’s carriage gates appears to have poured (what smells like) petrol on himself. Incredibly brave response from police, who are now helping him. — Huw Merriman (@HuwMerriman) October 1, 2019