London police charge man seen with ax near Buckingham Palace

LONDON — British police say they have charged a London man who was spotted carrying an ax near Buckingham Palace.

The city’s Metropolitan Police force said private security guards working on The Mall, a main road outside the palace, detained a suspect Tuesday evening after they were alerted to reports of a man carrying what appeared to be an ax.

Police said 46-year-old Vladyslav Dryhval was charged Thursday with possessing an offensive weapon and possessing a bladed article.

Dryhval was remanded into custody and was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later Thursday.

The police force previously said there were no reports of injuries and that the incident was not being treated as terrorism-related.

Buckingham Palace is Queen Elizabeth II’s official London residence, though the monarch has stayed at Windsor Castle west of London during the coronavirus pandemic. The queen remains in Windsor following the death of her husband Prince Philip last week.

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