Man quizzed after UK palace scare
LONDON, England -- British police say they are questioning a man who tricked his way into Queen Elizabeth II's main southern English country residence by pretending to be a police officer.
The man and his girlfriend were arrested Monday at Windsor Castle, 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of London, but police stressed no breach of security had taken place.
No member of the royal family was in residence at the time, officers added.
"Both are currently in custody at a London police station," a spokeswoman told Reuters.
"At this stage it is not believed that security was breached, but we are reviewing all the circumstances of the arrest."
The incident comes only weeks after the government ordered an overhaul of security at royal palaces.
The royal security review was ordered after a newspaper reporter with false references worked for two months as a footman inside Buckingham Palace, the home of the British royal family.
The reporter, from the tabloid Daily Mirror, said he had access to royal private quarters and would have been employed serving food to U.S. President George W. Bush during his state visit in November 2003.
In another incident an alternative comedian dressed as Osama bin Laden managed to gatecrash Prince William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle and mingle with guests.
The report concluded that the most likely sources of insider threat to the royal family were from the press and individuals seeking to "test" security measures or to cause embarrassment.
However, any weaknesses that could be exploited by these groups could also be exploited by terrorists, the report acknowledged.
