UK police detain man who doused himself in flammable liquid outside parliament

LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - British police said they had detained a man who had doused himself in what appeared to be gasoline outside parliament in London on Tuesday.

"Man next to me at Parliament’s carriage gates appears to have poured (what smells like) petrol on himself," lawmaker Huw Merriman wrote on Twitter. "Incredibly brave response from police, who are now helping him."

Police said the man had been detained after pouring what appeared to be flammable liquid over himself.

"The man, who had a lighter, was sprayed with a fire extinguisher," a police statement said. "There was no ignition and the man was detained.

The man is now being assessed by ambulance staff, the statement added. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)