Anti-terror police have carried out a controlled explosion at a London Underground station following the discovery of a “suspicious item”.
North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line was evacuated shortly before midday on Thursday after train staff found the item.
Police were called around 11am, with the station remaining closed over five hours later. Services on the entire line were suspended, but later partially reopened, although the section around North Greenwich remains closed.
The station serves the O2 Arena, one of the largest concern venues in the UK.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement:
Shortly after 11:00hrs on Thursday, 20 October, the British Transport Police was called to North Greenwich Underground Station after train staff reported finding a suspicious item on a train travelling eastbound on the Jubilee Line.
The station was evacuated and remains closed.
Specialist officers from the Met and BTP are in attendance and a controlled detonation has since taken place to ensure the item is safe.
While we are keeping an open mind, the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command is leading the investigation because it has the expertise to deal with incidents of this kind. British Transport Police is supporting.