‘Suspicious packages’ spark Canary Wharf evacuation & chaos - reports

A bomb scare has sparked chaos in London’s Canary Wharf, with the Metropolitan Police’s bomb squad deployed to investigate ‘suspicious packages’ in the major business district.

The incident, which has since proved to be a false alarm, occurred in the Harbour Exchange area of the Isle of Dogs, with local reports suggesting that a suspicious package had been identified by police.

An area around Harbour Exchange Square, home to the UK Financial Services Ombudsman, was reportedly cordoned off while police descended on the packages.

In a statement to the Daily Star, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said people had been evacuated from nearby buildings themselves as a precaution. It appears the scare was sparked by three briefcases left outside a Pret-A-Manger café.

Police have now stood down following the incident after determining there was no threat.

It comes as eyewitnesses took to social media to post images of a high emergency services presence on the Isle of Dogs.

In some images a police bomb disposal unit can be seen travelling down a cobbled street near a Pret-A-Manger café.