A man has been arrested after crashing his vehicle into the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Armed officers arrested the man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and he was taken to hospital, the Metropolitan Police said.

After being assessed, the man was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He has since been released on bail, the force said.

No members of the royal family were in residence at the time, and repairs to the gate are now under way, a palace spokesman said.

Scotland Yard said his car “collided with the gates” of the royal residence at 2.30am on Saturday.

There were no reports of any injuries, a force spokesperson said, adding that inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: “At around 2.35am on Saturday March 9, a car collided with the gates of Buckingham Palace.

“Armed officers arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage.

“He was taken to hospital where, following assessment, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

“He has been released on bail and enquiries continue.

“The matter is not being treated as terror-related.”