Second suspicious package at UK parliament in two days

LONDON: Police were called to assess a suspicious package at parliament yesterday, the second such incident in as many days.

“Specialist officers have been called and the package will be assessed,” a police statement said, adding that there were no reported injuries.

On Monday, a reported suspicious substance was later deemed non-hazardous, although two people were taken to hospital as a precaution.

The office of opposition Labour MP Mohammad Yasin received the item, while he was not in the room, according to a member of his staff.

“Everyone is fine, but it was clearly a worrying incident,” the staff member told AFP.

“As this is an ongoing investigation, we can’t issue more details at the moment,” she added.

Specialist police officers investigated the package and found it was not hazardous, a parliamentary spokeswoman later said.

London Ambulance Service said they had initially dispatched a hazardous area response team and after assessing two people at the scene decided to take them to hospital.

The affected area was temporarily cordoned off but there was no evacuation of the Norman Shaw Buildings, which are situated between the Houses of Parliament and police headquarters, the parliamentary spokeswoman said. — AFP