18 April 2023 , 19:01
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A toddler sparked a White House security scare after the Secret Service rushed to find a tiny intruder had squeezed through the fence.
US Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, who are responsible for security at the White House, walked across the North Lawn to retrieve the tot and reunite him with his parents on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Access to the highly secure complex was briefly restricted while officers took the missing child back to their legal guardians.
Officers briefly questioned the parents before allowing them to continue on their way.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said officers “encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered White House grounds.”
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A U.S. Secret Service uniformed division police officer carries a child that climbed through the bars of the White House fence (SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)“The White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited,” he said in a statement.
It may be the first successful intrusion onto the complex since the White House fence was doubled in height to roughly 13 feet in recent years after a series of security breaches.
While taller, the new fence has an additional inch of space between pickets, for a total of 5½ inches between posts.
The child squeezed through the White House fence bars and was met by Secret Service officers on the North Lawn. (SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Older children have sometimes become stuck in the iconic barrier, which has also been the scene of demonstrations, with protesters chaining themselves to the fence.
The Secret Service did not immediately have comment on the incident.
It is the first time White House security incident has reported an incident since the fences were upgraded with a huge 13ft fence in September 2014, costing millions.
A father retrieves his son from a U.S. Secret Service uniformed division police officers outside the Northwest Gate of the White House (SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)It followed a number of security breaches officials which included a Texas man carrying a knife and sprinting across the North Lawn after scaling the fence.
He had attempted to enter the White House before he was apprehended by security staff.
The National Park Service said “the new fence incorporates anti-climb and intrusion detection technology and is designed to mitigate current and future security threats”.
The child was carried out by Secret Service officers (SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)This led to a number of "anti-climb" sharp metal points being placed on top of the fence in July 2015 in a bid to make it more difficult to climb for intruders.
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However, the new taller fence has an additional inch of space between pickets which can be squeezed through by toddlers.
Older children, as well as younger tourists, have occasionally become stuck between the fence after trying to gain access to the White House.
Secret Service agents spotted the child (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Access to the White House was briefly restricted while officers conducted the reunification (Getty Images)Protestors have also chained themselves to the fence in recent years.
The increased security has prevented tourists from taking photos of the building without the fence showing up in their pictures.