Trafalgar Square evacuated: London cops clear area amid reports of 'loud bang'

Taking to Twitter, the police said, “Officers are currently at #TrafalgarSquare where they have evacuated the scene. Please do not travel to the area.”

British police on Saturday evacuated London's Trafalgar Square amid reports of 'loud bang' and a suspicious package being found. The police tweeted: "Officers are currently at Trafalgar Square where they have evacuated the scene. Please do not travel to the area."

A police vehicle removes a car following a security incident near Trafalgar Square, as Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations continue, on June 4, 2022.  (Reuters photo)

In another tweet, the police said officers would remain on the scene but the 'incident has now been concluded and the square will reopen in due course'. A police spokesperson told Reuters the incident is believed to have involved a suspicious package.

A report by local publication The Mirror said eyewitnesses at Trafalgar Square heard a loud bang. However, this claim has not been verified by the authorities.

Sarah Churchill, a tourist in the area with her 11-year-old son, told The Mirror she was at the square when the 'bomb' went off. "We were speaking to a policeman when the bomb went off without any warning," she said, adding the sound was 'intensely loud and quick'.

She also said she could see lots of police and a vehicle that looked like a bomb disposal van.

"We were just going to walk down to the Mall to see how it was all set up for tonight when we found the area cordoned off," she said.