Armed police have arrested a man near Buckingham Palace on suspicion of weapons offences.
Metropolitan Police said the man has now been charged after being arrested near the Queen's official London residence while allegedly carrying an axe.
Vladyslav Dryhval, 46, of Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, east London, was charged in the early hours of this morning with two counts of possession of an offensive weapon and a further count of possession of a bladed article.
He was remanded in custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today, Thursday April 15.
Photos posted on Twitter by witnesses at the time appeared to show several officers surrounding the man near the Institute of Contemporary Arts building.
The Met previously said there were no reports of any injuries and that the incident was not being treated as terror-related.
It comes after police heightened security around Windsor Castle in advance of the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.
Officers and sniffer dogs have been conducting specialist searches in the area.
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said the operation was "part of our measures to keep everyone safe during this period of national mourning".
