A man was arrested while holding an axe near Buckingham Palace this evening.
Armed police spotted the man walking on The Mall in central London at about 6.30pm.
They detained him and he was arrested on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon, the PA news agency reports.
The Met said there were no reports of any injuries in connection with the incident.
The man, believed to be aged in his 40s, was to taken to Charing Cross police station for questioning.
Enquiries into the incident are continuing, the Met said.
Journalist Benjamin Butterworth tweeted: "This man was just arrested by 6 armed police while walking down the Mall in direction of Buckingham Palace while wielding an axe.
"The Mall has been blocked to traffic while police remove the man and the axe."
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 6041/13APR.
