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'."
Massive boom just now - I’m told that it was “a controlled explosion of a suspect package”. pic.twitter.com/0FOAS1hI27
— Ben Bloch (@realBenBloch) October 18, 2022
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."
