A controlled explosion has taken place outside the new US Embassy in London tonight.

The bomb squad was called to Vauxhall after a report of two unattended vehicles, Scotland Yard said.

However, officers now said the incident had been ‘stood down’ and was not terror related.

Photos from the scene show a red van and silver car with their windows smashed.


Police cordoned off the area and a nearby Waitrose supermarket was evacuated after officers arrived on scene at 4.38pm.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Potential Threat at the new US Embassy building site in Nine Elms Vauxhall. Police sniffer dogs. View from Embassy Gardens Battersea, London pic.twitter.com/J8AXEk3Kj9 — Welly Walker (@WellyWalker) June 7, 2017

Credit: Twitter

Police stand beside two vehicles near the new but still unoccupied US embassy building (Picture: Getty)

Police stand beside one of two vehicles (Picture: Getty)

The two vehicles which were thought to be suspicious (Picture: Getty)

Workers stand near a police car outside the new US embassy building (Picture: Getty)

MORE: Children are now using Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant slogans to bully classmates

Around an hour after police arrived on scene near MI6, the explosion was carried out on Ponton Road, south west London.

Towns and cities across northern England and Wales to face new restrictions this weekend

Specialist officers were there along with ambulance and fire service staff.



Video from the scene showed a police officer along with a sniffer dog.

American diplomats have not yet moved into the new building on the south side of the River Thames.