City of London put on lockdown after security alert at the Gherkin

One driver arrested over possession of false documents

The Gherkin and surrounding buildings in the City of London were put on lockdown today after reports of a suspicious vehicle.

The bomb disposal unit was sent in to the scene and videos on social media showed a bomb disposal robot approaching a silver car on an abandoned City street.

City workers were told to stay indoors. Later, the driver of the car was arrested over possession of false documents, police said.

“The incident was reported to us at 11.32am on Tuesday (28 November) and officers are on scene awaiting the arrival of specialist units,” a spokesman for City of London Police said.

“We can confirm all road closures in the area surrounding St Mary Axe (EC3) have been lifted and the vehicle has been deemed non-suspicious. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested for possession of false identity documents.”