Pictured: ‘Knifeman with suspicious package’ who triggered Buckingham Palace security scare

The man who set off a security alarm at Buckingham Palace last night by throwing shotgun cartridges over the gates told a police officer he wanted to speak to a soldier, was armed with a knife and warned officers his backpack should be ‘handled with care’, Scotland Yard have revealed .

David Huber, 60, was arrested by armed police after he allegedly approached the gates and threw a number of objects on the palace grounds, including suspected shotgun cartridges, the Sun reported.

The paper claims Huber traveled to the capital from his remote cottage in Cumbria, where he is breeding Hungarian Vizslas for Charles’ historic ceremony on Saturday. He reportedly wrote on Facebook on the day Queen Elizabeth II died, “It’s a huge loss for everyone.”

Deputy Deputy Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the man approached officers around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, asking to speak to a soldier. When officers said that was not possible, the man reportedly started throwing rifle cartridges over the gates of Buckingham Palace. He was searched and allegedly in possession of a lock knife, and was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife and ammunition.

During the arrest, the man told officers to handle his backpack with care, which led to a controlled explosion on the bag that was heard live on GB News.

Although neither the King nor Queen were in residence at the time, Camilla’s grandchildren had arrived at Buckingham Palace hours earlier – while Charles himself had held an audience with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier in the day.

Mr Adelekan said the suspect was detained within seconds and arrested within five minutes. He said he was unaware of reports that the man had shouted that he wanted to kill the king before being arrested.

The suspect has undergone a psychiatric examination and has been found suitable for questioning. Scotland Yard is not treating the incident as terror-related.

Former head of Royal Protection Dai Davies warned that the threat of attack is “as high now as it has ever been” and said “you can never let your guard down” when you work for the royal family.

Mr Davies told MailOnline: ‘As we saw the police response was adequate – but if he had been sitting there for days I would have hoped someone would have spotted him. It is essential to look at people’s characteristics and take immediate action. I’d be very angry with anyone who didn’t.’

He added: “If a police officer heard him, he would have had a duty to catch and detain him under the Mental Health Act.”

The security expert also warned that the risk of a possible attack is very high, saying that not only the palace could be targeted, but also train and metro stations. He said it is vital that police “know their history” and make sure they are aware of past attacks and attempts.

“Of course you can expect protesters at events like this for hundreds of years, but never before have activists been able to organize on the scale of groups like Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion,” he added.

‘There are decent groups that pose a threat. Often it is the lone wolf who wants publicity. This incident indicates that the police are on high alert.’

Although neither the King nor Queen were in residence at the time, Camilla’s grandchildren had arrived at Buckingham Palace hours earlier – while Charles himself had held an audience with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier in the day.

King Charles reportedly left the palace just minutes before the incident, The Sun reported.

Police carried out a controlled explosion as a precaution which was heard live on GB News as cordons were placed in the area. Scotland Yard is not treating the incident as terror-related and understands that it is being treated as an isolated mental health incident.

The suspicious bag that was found contained two passports, a phone, wallet, keys, bank cards, laptop bag, a photo of a child and a large brown letter, according to The Sun. There was also a copy of Harvard lecturer Shawn Achor’s book The Happiness Advantage.

Minister Tom Tugendhat appeared to allay fears this morning, emphasizing that “we are in no way complacent” about the security challenge posed by Saturday’s coronation.

He told Times Radio: “The police are on top of it, to say the least, and our intelligence and other security forces are very aware of the challenge we face. What we have been planning for several months now is one of the most important security operations the country has planned.’

The arrest comes as a ring of steel is expected in the capital for the coronation at Westminster Abbey.

Witnesses said the man was seen throwing a “number of items” on the property grounds before he was arrested.

Images show how the handcuffed suspect hung his head when officers took him into custody. Police later performed a controlled explosion on a suspicious bag as a precaution.