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Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs and an "explosion" near Horse Guards Parade and Downing Street in Westminster. An area around Horse Guards Parade was cordoned off as anti-terror police investigated the package. It comes just one day after four people were killed when Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing a car near Parliament and stabbing a policeman. Extra armed police have been deployed across the capital in the wake of the attack.

Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs and an "explosion" near Horse Guards Parade

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the controlled explosion when contacted by Express.co.uk. She said: "We do not normally confirm controlled explosions." Police were investigating a suspect package in the area of Birdcage Walk and Horse Guards Parade, just up the road from the scene of Wednesday's terror attack. Officers confirmed the package was not suspicious and lifted all cordons and the 100m exclusion zone shortly after 9pm.

TWITTER Police have carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious package near Horse Guards Parade

Unattended bag found Birdcage Walk/Horseguards was not suspicious. All cordons put in for safety being lifted. Thanks for your patience. — Westminster Police (@MPSWestminster) March 23, 2017

Suspiscious package found close to Westminster. 100m exclusion zone. V close to Treasury #WestminsterAttack pic.twitter.com/5Kg5TPoBWB — Laura Bundock (@laurabundock) March 23, 2017

Westminster Police said: “Unattended bag found Birdcage Walk/Horseguards was not suspicious. All cordons put in for safety being lifted. Thanks for your patience.” London has been on high alert with Metropolitan Police deploying more armed and unarmed officers. The area around Horse Guards Parade has been busy today as hundreds of people leave tributes to the victims at the National Police Memorial. Earlier this evening thousands of people gathered at nearby Trafalgar Square for a candlelight vigil in memory of the London terror attack victims. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the thousands of people who responded to his personal invitation to come together in solidarity and sympathy at the Trafalgar Square vigil, that "those evil and twisted individuals who tried to destroy our shared way of life will never succeed and we condemn them". He spoke after detectives investigating Wednesday's attacks on Westminster Bridge and at the Houses of Parliament said they had arrested three women and five men on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

GOOGLE MAPS Police carried out a controlled explosion near Horse Guards Parade

Westminster terror attack in pictures Thu, March 22, 2018 These devastating photographs capture the carnage and terror in the Westminster terror attack in London one year ago today. Play slideshow PA 1 of 43 Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood (centre) helps emergency services attend to a police officer outside the Palace of Westminster, London