Police attend Buckingham Palace as man spends hours handcuffed to gates

A man has handcuffed himself to the gates of Buckingham Palace and remained shackled to the royal residence for hours.

In a video posted online, officers were seen clearing the area to bring the situation to a "swift conclusion".

A spokesperson for the Met Police initially tweeted on Thursday evening: "At around 5.23pm a man approached the gates of #BuckinghamPalace & handcuffed himself to them.

"Officers in the area immediately approached the man, believed aged in his 30s, who began threatening to harm himself."

The Met continued: "LAS are also on scene.

"Police are trying to speak to the man & bring the situation to a swift conclusion to ensure his safety and welfare."

The force posted another update shortly after 9pm, saying "cordons remain in place & situation still ongoing".

"Officers are still speaking to the man, who has sustained a number of self-inflicted slash injuries. Police are working to bring the situation to a safe end as quickly as possible."

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