Security incident at UK parliament after ‘white powder’ found in parcel

The British parliament received a parcel containing an unknown white powder on Tuesday, triggering a security incident.

The suspicious package was delivered to the Parliament building in the heart of London at 1.36pm local time, police said, although it is unclear which department it was sent to.

The Metropolitan Police said that specialists had assessed the powder, and the House of Commons later confirmed that it was found to be non-harmful. 

The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command officers are now investigating the incident and the office to which the package has been sent, remains closed. The rest of the building remains open.

The complex was not evacuated or placed in a lockdown.