US Embassy Locked Down After 'Hoax Device' Found

The US Embassy in London was locked down Friday as police carried out a controlled explosion of a suspicious package found nearby. The embassy later announced that the lockdown had been lifted, but all public appointments for the day were canceled, the Standard reports. "We can confirm that the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Nobody was injured, the AP reports. "Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device," police said hours later. "An investigation will now follow."

"Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down," police said. In a post on X, the embassy police said they had closed a road on the west side of the embassy "out of an abundance of caution." Gatwick Airport, meanwhile, was partially evacuated due to what authorities said was a security incident Friday morning, BBC reports. Bomb disposal experts were called to the airport 30 miles south of London after a suspected prohibited item was found in the luggage area, reports the Guardian. Police said the South Terminal was evacuated as a precaution during the investigation. Authorities said trains would not be stopping at the airport station. (More US Embassy stories.)