We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again.

Officers were alerted to the suspicious package found near the Turkish Federation of Belgium building in Schaerbeek.

The bag, discovered in Rue Josaphat, sparked a mass police response as a robot was been drafted in to assess the item.

Brussels media reported authorities have announced it was indeed an explosive device, despite appearing to be an ordinary shopping bag.

According to reports coming from Belgium the device consisted of a gas cylinder and a firing system.