A vehicle unsuccessfully attempted to ram through a Wellington Street entrance gate to Parliament Hill in Ottawa early Wednesday morning.

The perpetrator is currently in the custody of the Ottawa Police Service, which said in a statement that his vehicle "violently" crashed into the entrance gate at around 3:30 a.m.

The driver, however, was unable to enter the premises "due to the security infrastructure in place", said the authorities.

A nearby police officer took the driver into custody without further incident. The damage inflicted on the grid is minimal.

An investigation is ongoing and charges will follow.