A man wearing a bulletproof vest and a gun holster was arrested outside the Swiss Parliament.

Security officers stopped the 27-year-old because of his suspicious behaviour and appearance outside the government building in the capital Bern this afternoon.

After searching him near one of the entrances of the building, he was found to be bearing explosives.

Police said ‘federal security staffers noticed a man at the southern entrance of the Parliament building whose appearance – he was wearing a bulletproof vest and a weapon holster – and behavior were suspicious’.

‘During a body check that followed, a rapid test turned up explosives,’ it added.

The incident sparked a security alert that shut down part of Bern for several hours.

A car linked to the man was parked on the Bundesplatz, opposite Parliament, and police were called to the scene.

The area was sealed off, while nearby buildings and Parliament were evacuated.

After being examined by a robot, the car was found to pose no danger, Bern police said.

The emergency measures were lifted at around 7pm, about five hours after being called to the scene.

No detail on the explosives has yet been shared, along with a possible motive and the identity of the man.

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