Man arrested after running up to queen's coffin, trying to lift Royal Standard

MOSCOW: The London police said on Saturday that it detained a man who ran up to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II and tried to lift the Royal Standard from it.

"Around 10 pm on Friday Sept 16, officers from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command detained a man in Westminster Hall following a disturbance.

"He was arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody," the Metropolitan Police said, as quoted by Sky News, reported Sputnik.

According to an eyewitness, the man pushed her seven-year-old niece, ran to the coffin, and tried to raise the Royal Standard, Sky News reported, adding that the man was quickly seized by the police.

The Palace of Westminster is open around the clock for those wishing to participate in a farewell ceremony and see the Queen's coffin.

The coffin covered with the Royal Standard stands on a special platform in Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate.

-- BERNAMA