Man found on fire outside Kensington Palace dies
A man has died after being found on fire outside Kensington Palace in the early hours of this morning, police said.
Officers were called to the London home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after receiving reports a man was behaving suspiciously.
On arrival a man, believed to be in his forties, was found on fire.
London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade were called to the scene but the man was pronounced dead at around 3.42am, despite efforts to save him.
It is understood that the incident is not being treated as suspicious, and no-one else was thought to be involved.
A spokesman for the Met said officers were called by a central London hospital at just after midnight on Tuesday after a man in their care had failed to return.
They added: “Police carried out inquiries to trace this missing man at his home address and two associated addresses but the man, aged in his forties, was not present.
“Subsequently, police in Kensington and Chelsea were called to an area near the locked parks of Kensington Palace at 3.06am following reports of a man behaving suspiciously.
“Officers attended and found a man, believed to be aged in his 40s, ablaze.
“Inquiries are ongoing. This incident is not being treated as terrorist-related.”
A spokesman for the royal family confirmed the Duke and Duchess Cambridge were not in the palace on Tuesday. They are believed to have been in Norfolk at the time of the incident.
