The US embassy in south London was on Wednesday briefly placed under lockdown as a suspicious package was investigated by armed security officials.
Embassy staff within the sprawling complex in the Nine Elms area of the city were asked to stay indoors as security measures were undertaken. According to reports, armed guards asked everyone inside the building to move away from the glass facade of the building as a precaution and some fire engines were called in as back up.
"The US Embassy is back to normal business operations. Local authorities investigated and cleared a suspicious package outside the Embassy," the American Embassy in London tweeted in an update, as it thanked the Metropolitan Police force.
"Thanks to @metpoliceuk for your swift action, and thanks to all visitors for your cooperation and patience at this time," the embassy said.
The complex at Nine Elms by the River Thames formally opened in January 2018 after the US embassy shifted from its Grosvenor Square location in central London, mainly over security concerns as its historic status prevented any major changes to the structural design.
Designed by Philadelphia-based architecture firm KieranTimberlake, the new complex is a translucent crystalline cube design that is based on core democratic values of transparency, openness, and equality. It is said to have been designed with greater energy efficiency in mind and also has many reinforced security measures.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Video: US Diplomat, Vlogger Explore Delhi's Iconic Pre-Independence Eateries Man Arrested For Stabbing Girl, Woman At Leicester Square In London Ghost Haunting London's Busiest Tunnel For Over 50 Years? All We Know Mamata Banerjee's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan "Prove With Pics Crime Scene Intact": Court To Bengal Over Hospital Vandalism Will Back Any Candidate Announced As Chief Minister Face: Uddhav Thackeray Trump, Musk, And The Importance Of 'Exaggeration' In Storytelling India Post GDS Merit List 2024 To Be Released Soon Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.