London: Met Police say item 'not suspicious' after bridge closures
Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Hungerford and Golden Jubilee footbridges were closed as a "precaution" after police rushed to investigate an "unattended item in the vicinity of South Bank".
Tuesday 15 February 2022 12:46, UK
The Met Police have said that an item was "found not to be suspicious" after four bridges and some roads were closed.
Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Hungerford and Golden Jubilee footbridges were closed as a "precaution" as police rushed to investigate an "unattended item in the vicinity of South Bank".
The force confirmed the incident at around 11am and asked people to use alternative routes.
But, shortly afterwards, the Met Police said: "The unattended item has been assessed and was found not to be suspicious.
"Road closures will be lifted imminently. We thank the public for their cooperation."
A large cordon was put in place, with footage posted online showing traffic at a standstill along some roads.
People took to Twitter to report road closures while Southeastern said they were unable to "run trains to Waterloo East or Charing Cross" while the incident was ongoing.
By 11.30am, Southeastern confirmed lines between the two stations had re-opened, but warned there may still be some delays while it worked to recover the service.
One Twitter user thanked police for the quick update on the situation, writing: "Our daughters are in London and caught up with the evacuation. It was good to know they are in safe hands."
London Waterloo Station was forced to close its exit onto York Road but all other operations continued as normal, a spokesperson told Sky News.
The London Eye was also affected by the incident, with the tourist attraction saying it has "temporarily paused boarding due to an ongoing police investigation nearby."
"Although the incident is not related to the London Eye we have paused operation as a safety precaution," it added on Twitter.