Man charged with terror offence after arrest at Israeli embassy

A man has been charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly attempting to enter the Israeli embassy in London with a knife on Monday.

Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, of no fixed address, was charged on Wednesday with preparation of terrorist acts and two counts of possession of a bladed article, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Israel's foreign ministry said all staff at the Kensington embassy were unharmed and there was no damage to the building.

The Israeli embassy thanked officers for their "immediate response", as well as their "ongoing efforts" to protect the premises.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, confirmed the force is not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and does not believe there is a wider threat to the public.

"We remain in close contact with those based at the Embassy of Israel and we appreciate that these charges will be concerning to them," he added.

The incident took place at around 18:00 BST on Monday.

Officers from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command found a man trying to enter the embassy grounds, the force said.

The suspect was stopped from getting inside and initially arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, trespassing on a designated site and possession of an offensive weapon, a statement continued.

After being taken to a police station and questioned, he was further arrested for an alleged terror offence.

The investigation is being led by detectives from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

In a statement, the Israeli embassy said: "We thank the British security forces for their immediate response and ongoing efforts to secure the Embassy.

"The Embassy of Israel will not be deterred by any terror threat and will continue to represent Israel with pride in the UK."

Mr Albadri was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.