The popular park was closed after ‘discarded items’ were reported to police
Kensington Gardens has reopened after police confirmed ‘no harmful substances’ were found. The popular park, situated next to Kensington Palace and Hyde Park, was closed according to The Royal Parks yesterday (April 17).
Specific details were unclear as the Met Police stated they were “assessing a number of discarded items”. Members of the public were asked to steer clear of the location ‘until further notice’.
One witness reported spotting a forensics team near the bandstand in the centre of the park. However today (April 18) police confirmed the re-opening of Kensington Gardens after ‘several suspicious items’ were found.
An update on the Met Police website revealed that among the items were two jars containing a ‘powdered substance’. There were also reports of an online video featuring a group who claimed to have targeted the nearby Embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances.
This prompted the police presence at the park, however it has now been confirmed no harmful or hazardous substances were identified. Commander Helen Flanagan, of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “We recognise this incident and consequent police activity may have caused concern among local residents and the wider public.
“We are grateful to them for their understanding while our work was undertaken. Although the items found have been assessed as being non-hazardous, we continue to investigate whether they may have any link to the online video.
“This work is being carried out by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London and our enquiries remain ongoing. While the Embassy of Israel was not attacked, we continue to work closely with the Embassy and its security team to keep the site safe and secure.”
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