Westminster: Parliament Square is closed off over ‘suspicious vehicle’
Parliament Square closed off and QEII Centre evacuated as police deploy bomb disposal robot for controlled explosions over ‘suspicious vehicle’ near Westminster Abbey
Roads around Parliament Square were closed due to a suspicious vehiclePolice confirmed a bomb disposal robot was deployed at around 4.30pmTwo controlled explosions were carried out and the square was reopened The Queen Elizabeth II Centre conference hall was evacuated by policeNearby Westminster School was also evacuated as part of the response
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Roads around Parliament Square were closed and the Queen Elizabeth II Centre and Westminster School were evacuated due to a suspicious vehicle on Monday afternoon.
Police evacuated Parliament Square and the large conference centre around 4.30pm and have confirmed that two controlled explosions have taken place in the area.
The Metropolitan Police tweeted: ‘Police are at currently in the vicinity of #Westminster Abbey dealing with an ongoing incident involving what is believed to be a suspicious vehicle.
‘A number of road closures are in place while emergency services deal with the incident.’
Police bomb squad officers use a robot to break a window and crack open the boot so that they can search a suspect car which is contained within a cordon outside Westminster Abbey
Police evacuated Parliament Square and the large conference centre around 4.30pm and have confirmed that two controlled explosions have taken place in the area
Police bomb squad search a suspect car outside Westminster Abbey
The Metropolitan Police tweeted: ‘Police are at currently in the vicinity of #Westminster Abbey dealing with an ongoing incident involving what is believed to be a suspicious vehicle’
Police deployed a bomb disposal robot to Parliament Square and carried out two controlled explosions
Police cordoned off Parliament Square around 4.30pm before roads were reopened around 45 minutes later
The QEII conference centre was also evacuated while police dealt with the vehicle
MPs and peers are currently not sitting in Westminster ahead of the state opening of Parliament and Queen’s Speech on Tuesday.
Westminster and St James Park Underground stations were also closed at police request, according to LBC journalist Shelagh Fogarty.
The nearby Westminster School was also reported to have been evacuated in the incident.
Roads have reopened and the cordon has been lifted.
