Police are investigating three packages, including one at Waterloo
Counter-terror police have said three suspicious packages found near transport hubs across London were "small improvised explosive devices".
Officers were called to Waterloo Station, London City Airport and an office building near Heathrow Airport in
separate incidents within hours of each other earlier today.
Three A4-sized white postal bags containing yellow Jiffy bags were found, the Met Police has now confirmed.
Specialist officers have assessed the packages, which were found to be "small improvised explosive devices".
The devices were "not sophisticated", they said.
Counter terrorism officers say they are treating the incidents as "a linked series" but are "keeping an open mind regarding motives".
In a statement, the force said: "These devices, at this early stage of the investigation, appear
capable of igniting an initially small fire when opened."
Police were first called to The Compass Centre, an office for Heathrow Airport, at 9.55am.
Officers said the package sent there was opened by staff, "causing the device to initiate [which] resulted in part of the package burning".
The building was evacuated as a precaution, but no one was injured.
Police added: "Specialist officers attended and made the device safe. The building remains closed as enquiries continue. The building is not based at Heathrow Airport, and flights have not been affected by this incident."
"At approximately 12.10 today, police were called to a report of a suspicious package at London City Airport Aviation House, Royal Docks, Newham.
Aviation House near London City Airport was evacuated as a precaution but the airport tweeted to say there was no impact on flights.
In a statement about the incident at Waterloo, British Transport Police said: "We were called to Waterloo station at 11.40am today following reports of a suspicious package.
"The item is currently being assessed by specialist teams.
"Cordons are in place, however train services continue to operate as normal at this time."
South Western Rail have said a small cordon is in place but services are still running.
Comment: The 'obvious connection' being made is that this is intended to influence the Brexit negotiations, with the bomb threats ostensibly being a reminder from Irish nationalists that 'we're still here' as the potential return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland looms.
Less obvious is whether this is connected with the simultaneous 'suspicious packages'
being sent to government ministers in Dublin, which sparked an 'anti-terror' military lock-down there two days ago.
UPDATE 6pm CETThe "Irish connection" is now explicit: the explosives reportedly had
Irish stamps:
British police have launched a counterterrorism probe after "small improvised explosive devices" were found in envelopes bearing Irish stamps at London sites including Heathrow Airport, City Airport and Waterloo train station.
...
MET Police also confirmed that police in Ireland were assisting the investigation.
...
The fact that the envelopes had Irish stamps has immediately aroused suspicions that the incident could be related to tense relations between Dublin and London over Brexit negotiations.
The London Telegraph suggested that the incident could be part of a plot by dissident republican groups in Ireland. The issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has been a major sticking point in Brexit talks, with the Irish side insisting on a 'backstop' measure to ensure that a hard border will never be introduced on the island, while the pro-Brexit side in the UK insist that a backstop is unnecessary to prevent a hard border and claim it is hampering a clean break from the EU.
An initially '
suspicious' package found today near the entrance to Britain's parliament was later deemed 'not suspicious'.
UPDATE 10pm CETRT now
reports that:
A suspicious package found at Glasgow University shares similarities with small improvised explosive devices sent on Tuesday to major transport hubs of London, the police have confirmed.
Somebody's clearly working overtime. Somebody seeking to influence the Brexit fiasco deadline at the end of this month. Somebody
not wannabe-IRA or ISIS...
Comment: The 'obvious connection' being made is that this is intended to influence the Brexit negotiations, with the bomb threats ostensibly being a reminder from Irish nationalists that 'we're still here' as the potential return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland looms.
Less obvious is whether this is connected with the simultaneous 'suspicious packages' being sent to government ministers in Dublin, which sparked an 'anti-terror' military lock-down there two days ago.
UPDATE 6pm CET
The "Irish connection" is now explicit: the explosives reportedly had Irish stamps: An initially 'suspicious' package found today near the entrance to Britain's parliament was later deemed 'not suspicious'.
UPDATE 10pm CET
RT now reports that: Somebody's clearly working overtime. Somebody seeking to influence the Brexit fiasco deadline at the end of this month. Somebody not wannabe-IRA or ISIS...