'Second World War bomb' found near Houses of Parliament

A suspected unexploded Second World War bomb has been found in the River Thames, forcing the closure of Waterloo and Westminster bridges in London.

The device was found in the river by Victoria Embankment, close to the Houses of Parliament.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: "There are road closures in place in and around the area whilst the item is assessed."

MBNA Thames Clippers tweeted: "The river is closed between Charing Cross bridge and Westminster bridge, this is expected to be closed overnight."

MPS Westminster posted: "Pls bear with us as we deal with dredged up suspected WWII ordnance #RiverThames #Victoria #Westminster - Road closures in area for safety."

Passengers leaving Westminster underground station were diverted to exits away from the cordon by a sign which said both bridges had been "closed at the request of the police".

The usually-busy road stretching from Westminster to Embankment stations in central London is completely clear of traffic and pedestrians.

The cordon is marked off with police tape and manned by uniformed officers.

Tourists and passers-by calmly took photographs of the odd sight as uniformed police officers told them that specialists had been called in to deal with the device.

Advertisement