Security scare at US embassy in London, operations resumed after brief lockdown

A suspicious package found outside the building was cleared by the local authorities, the US embassy in London said on Wednesday after a security alert. The embassy said it was resuming normal operations after the package was investigated and cleared by the local authorities.

"The U.S. Embassy is back to normal business operations. Local authorities investigated and cleared a suspicious package outside the Embassy," the embassy's official Twitter account said, thanking the police for their swift action.

The US embassy in London was briefly put into a state of lockdown with those inside the building told to move away from windows.

Metropolitan Police said that the suspicious item turned out to be false alarm, according to local media reports.