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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Xander Elliards

Police 'carry out controlled explosion after suspicious package' at Westminster

POLICE have carried out a controlled explosion on a "suspicious package" which led to Parliament Street being cordoned off, reports say.

Westminster Police said that the package had been found at 11.42am on Tuesday.

The force wrote on Twitter: "Police were called at 11.42am on Tuesday, 18 October to reports of a suspicious package in #Whitehall.

"Officers are in attendance and a cordon is in place as a precaution.

"The item will be assessed by specialist officers. Please avoid the area."

Journalists on the scene reported hearing a loud boom slightly after 12.30pm, and police evacuated Parliament Street.

The Jewish Chronicle's Ben Bloch wrote: "Massive boom just now - I’m told that it was 'a controlled explosion of a suspect package'."

Around 15 minutes later the Westminster Police issued an update saying that the package had been "declared as non-suspicious" by specialists. 

They did not confirm whether a controlled explosion had taken place, which a police spokesperson said was standard practice.

The force wrote: "Specialist officers have assessed the item in #Whitehall and it has been declared as non-suspicious.

"The cordon has been lifted. Thank you for your patience."

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