Parliament suffers major security breach as its revealed woman broke in and slept on the site on same day King Charles visited to mark coronation

A woman broke into the Palace of Westminster and stayed the night in a parliamentary committee room, it emerged.

It came as Parliament was on full security alert the same day for a visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla on May 2 four days before the Coronation.

The woman, who has not been identified, was discovered and detained by police under the Mental Health Act.

It is unclear how she snuck into the restricted area without a pass, but a review of parliamentary security has now been carried out.

A woman broke into the Palace of Westminster (pictured) and stayed the night in a parliamentary committee room, it emerged

It came as Parliament was on full security alert the same day for a visit by King Charles (second left) and Queen Camilla (second right) on May 2 four days before the Coronation. Pictued with Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle (right) and Speaker of the House of Lords Mcfaull of Alcluith (left)

A source told The Sun: ‘What is not known is that around the same time as the Royal visit, a woman without a pass managed to stay on the Parliamentary estate overnight without detection.

‘She was discovered the following day in a committee room and the police were immediately informed.’

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘At 14:42hrs on Wednesday, 3 May, officers responded to concerns for the welfare of a woman at the Palace of Westminster. She was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital.’

It comes after five Extinction Rebellion climate protesters broke into the House of Commons in September last year and tried to glue themselves to the Speaker’s chair.

Three protesters stood together in a chain around the chair after booking onto an official Parliament tour, and took it in turns to read a speech about how ‘what goes on in this chamber every day makes a joke out of us all’.

Two other activists stood behind the chair in the House of Commons and held large banners which said ‘let the people decide’ and ‘citizens assembly now’ – while another climbed up scaffolding outside and held a banner.

It is unclear how she snuck into the restricted area without a pass, but a review of parliamentary security has now been carried out. Pictured: King Charles with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 2

Security at Parliament is led by the Parliamentary Security Department which organises security vetting and passes, and works in partnership with the Metropolitan Police which provides armed and unarmed policing.

It was later confirmed there had been no damage to the Speaker’s chair as part of the eco group’s protests.