A controlled explosion took place at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, and a man was arrested in front of the British royal residence after throwing suspicious shell casings in the palace courtyard, police announced, News.ro reported with reference to the BBC.

Security incident at Buckingham PalacePhoto: Ben Cawthra / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

A security cordon was put in place after police detained the man at around 19:00 local time (21:00 Romanian time) on Tuesday after he approached the palace gates, Scotland Yard said.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the man also had a suspicious bag. The controlled explosion was carried out as a precautionary measure, after an expert assessment.

The suspect was detained on suspicion of possession of a military weapon.

There are no reports of shots fired or casualties among law enforcement officers or the public.

The incident happened a few days before the coronation of King Charles III.