Buckingham Palace guard pointed his rifle at 'intruder' at the gates

A soldier at Buckingham Palace pointed his bayonet-fixed rifle at a member of the public after an argument erupted at the gates, it was reported yesterday.

The soldier, on guard duty, left his post to intervene when a man refused to stop shouting at a police officer manning the gates of Queen Elizabeth's official London residence on Friday.

The Sun newspaper's front page had a picture of the Queen's Guard, in his scarlet tunic and black bearskin hat, pointing the weapon at the man, the tip of the bayonet less than an arm's length away from his neck.

The Sun quoted a sightseer who said the "intruder" was trying to get closer or inside, and the guard eventually pushed the man away. A police spokesman said the man eventually left after being given "words of advice". He was not arrested.

"Police were made aware of a disturbance at the north-centre gate of Buckingham Palace at approximately 5.50pm on Friday," the spokesman said. "Officers ... spoke to a man and he was given words of advice and there were no arrests."