Wily fox defies security at Houses of Parliament to prowl Westminster estate

A wily fox managed to bypass the usually tight security of the Houses of Parliament and made an unexpected appearance in central London.

The brave creature was spotted entering the main visitor entrance to the Westminster parliament building on Tuesday afternoon.

Although the terrain was fortified with high fences and walls, and access was often limited to security-controlled entry points, the crafty animal had apparently outperformed its human counterparts.

He was later seen prowling near the historic Westminster Hall, the largest surviving medieval part of the Palace of Westminster, and the adjacent Jubilee Cafe.

He then stopped to survey members of the public who had just entered the property.

Parliament staff in their usual black and white uniforms appeared to be trying to shoo the bushy-tailed intruder out of the visitor’s entrance and onto the street near Cromwell Green.

The intruder appears to have defied recently strengthened security measures during his stay around Parliament.

Long, high metal railings were installed around the edges of the site last year, leaving some MPs stunned.

Peers were particularly critical of the barriers created along the historic site’s western border, separating the Old Palace Garden from Abingdon Street.

But the Metropolitan Police rejected suggestions that the new fence risked cutting off potential attackers’ “lines of sight”.

It appears the fox left the property safely and voluntarily.