Downing Street gates crasher apprehended by authorities

A man was arrested on Thursday after a car crashed into the gates of Downing Street in central London, where the home and offices of the British Prime Minister are located, prompting a swift security response in one of the city’s most fortified locations.

The Metropolitan Police said the driver was arrested for criminal damage and dangerous driving. There were no reports of injuries.

It was not clear if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in his office at the time.

Video footage posted on social media showed a white car driving straight into the gates at low speed across Whitehall, the main street in London’s government district. Footage taken shortly after showed a car with its trunk opened against the tall metal gates.

It was not immediately clear if the accident was intentional. Police said they are working to determine the circumstances.

Officers cordoned off Whitehall after the incident but later lifted some barricades.

Downing Street is a narrow street with a row of Georgian houses, including the official residence of the Prime Minister at No. 10.

The gates were erected in 1989 in response to threats from IRA militants. Public access to the street is restricted, and the gates are guarded at all times by armed police officers.