Offices surrounding the BBC headquarters in Portland Place were evacuated following a bomb scare on Tuesday afternoon. The alarm has now been stood down and streets reopened.
Police cordoned off the area to traffic and pedestrians. Great Portland Street was closed and Regent Street blocked off, according to reports.
BREAKING New Broadcasting House being evacuated pic.twitter.com/LqrMRovmSv
— JamesClayton (@JamesClayton5) December 1, 2015
According several sources, including a tweet from BBC Newsnight producer James Clayton, police were alarmed by the presence of a “suspect vehicle” near Broadcasting House.
Twitter user Bob Bill later claimed to have seen a BBC employee being “told off by police for having a suspicious van.”
Looks like a BBC employee is getting told off by police for having a suspicious van pic.twitter.com/gkxmTqIRWr
— Bob Bill (@itsmoirob) December 1, 2015
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the Independent a call was received shortly after 2pm.
BREAKING: Part of Portland Place by the BBC sealed off, 'suspicious vehicle', nearby offices evacuated pic.twitter.com/AspqklqK01
— Adam Courtney (@FulHamBushChron) December 1, 2015
In addition to the BBC, Portland Place is also home to the Chinese and Polish embassies, Kenyan High Commission and the Royal Institute of British Architects, as well as schools and hotels.
