UK police say vehicle in central London was non-suspicious after security alert

LONDON: British police said on Wednesday that an earlier security incident involving a suspicious vehicle in central London was being stood down after officers carried out a number of controlled explosions as a precaution.

The vehicle was found to be non-suspicious, the Metropolitan police said on social media platform X. An earlier post had said road closures were in place near Regent Street in central London.

Footage posted on social media shows the street has been cordoned off with tape and police stopping pedestrians and cars from progressing through it.

According to UK publication The Guardian, the evacuation took place around 2pm local time after a car parked outside a toy store aroused suspicion.

The Metropolitan police said the parked vehicle that had caused the alarm was found to be non-suspicious and the incident had been "fully stood down". Counter-terror sources indicated that the incident did not initially appear to be terror-related.

Regent Street, located next to the iconic Oxford Street, is one of London's main shopping hubs and is home to a number of flagship stores.