A man has been released without charge after he was arrested at Buckingham Palace on suspicion of possessing a firearm.

Officers were called to the palace's visitor entrance just before 1pm on Sunday.

The man, 38, had already been stopped by security staff.

He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm (a Taser) and was taken to a central London police station.

The man, who was visiting the UK from the Netherlands, was questioned by police before he was released without further action.


In a statement, the Met Police said: "Officers were satisfied that his possession of the device - which was low-powered and part of a keyring - was a genuine error on his part, and that he posed no threat."

On its Twitter page, the Metropolitan Police said the incident was not terrorism-related.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

The Queen is currently away from her official residence, taking a summer break at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.