‘Loud bang’ outside US embassy in London causes area lockdown; police responds

A loud bang was heard near the US Embassy in central London after police swarming the landmark carried out a controlled explosion, the Metropolitan Police confirmed. “We can confirm that the ‘loud bang’ reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers," they added in a follow-up tweet. “Enquiries are still ongoing and cordons will remain in place for the time being.”