St Paul's Cathedral: Man 'with imitation gun' arrested outside London landmark

No indication that incident is terror-related, police say

A man allegedly carrying an imitation gun has been arrested outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Armed police were called to the world-famous landmark after an “armed man” was seen, and detained the suspect in front of shocked tourists.

Photos shared by witnesses on social media showed an entrance to the cathedral grounds cordoned off as police spoke to a man.

A spokesperson for City of London Police said: “Following reports of an armed man at St Paul’s Cathedral, we can confirm we’ve arrested a man who we believe to be in possession of a firearm at 12.05pm today.

“He was detained behind One New Change by armed officers. There is no indication this incident is terror-related at this time.”

Later, the force said: “The man was assessed by a mental health team and has been detained under the Mental Health Act in a secure unit.”

The incident came after police called for heightened vigilance at religious institutions following the New Zealand terror attack, where 50 worshippers were gunned down at mosques.